Welcome to the New Age
by randomwriter90
Summary: Danny and Gandalf are dead. Chris is barely hanging on, but she can't go yet. Danny wants her to still fight on and Chris is reluctant to do it, but she will for her brother. Chris may know who her father is, but does she really know who her mother is. Who was Maria Cortez, but more importantly who are the Cortez family? Sequel to Little Lion Man.
1. Dying, Not Dead

**Here's the sequel to Little Lion Man. If you haven't read that then you will be lost. Hope you enjoy. Please review! Reviews give me reason to continue, update faster.**

**Chapter 1: Dying, Not Dead**

_I'm waking up to ash and dust_

_ I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust_

_ I'm breathing in the chemicals_

_ I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus_

_ This is it, the apocalypse_

_I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones_

_ Enough to make my systems blow_

_ Welcome to the new age, to the new age_

_ Welcome to the new age, to the new age – _Radioactive, Imagine Dragons

When Chris and Danny were born, they were already unique. The doctors called it dextrocardia situs inversus totalis. This basically means that the heart is not on the left side of the chest, but the right. This occurs in one of 12,000 people.

This was the only reason Chris did not die instantly when Boromir ran his sword through Chris. The wound is serious. Deathly serious, and Chris is in deep shit if she doesn't get the bleeding under control.

The fellowship is gone and out of sight. They started running and she can't hear them anymore. It's been well over ten minutes. A part of her wants to stay there and let the wound kill her. Why not? She's tired and ready to give up. Plus if the lack of help is to go by, the rest don't want her help anyways.

Why can't she give up? This isn't her fight. This is not her war to fight in. Nor is this her home, her world. She's a stranger in a strange land. So why stand up? Chris is lying on the floor. She turned over on her back; her left hand clutching the wound. She's still bleeding, not a lot by normal standards for such a wound, but still enough to risk death from blood loss. _Must be an elf thing; blood coagulates faster than normal and the clotting decreases the time it takes to bleed out_, Chris thinks fleetingly, eyes closed welcoming the darkness.

_"No matter what, you keep everyone alive! No one dies on your watch!"_ Danny's voice echoes in her mind. With a loud sigh, Chris opened her eyes and slowly tried to sit up. Then she got to her feet. It was painful and her chest hurt. Blood was still oozing out. Chris focused her mind and concentrated on the wound. Looking down at the wound, Chris removed her hand and saw that the blood was no longer coming out. Chris used her telekinesis to stop the bleeding. Chris didn't know how long she could maintain this, but it would buy her time. Hopefully she could get help before she passes out.

She thought about the fellowship and the promise to keep them alive.

"I said I understand, not I promise." Chris smiled faintly to no one in particular. Chris started jogging lightly towards the woods of Lothlórien.

* * *

The spirits of the hobbits are down. They trudge along in somber silence. They speak to no one, not even each other and they do not look at the others in the eyes. They've reached the woods the downcast expression is still there. The others know what has their spirits down and have not said anything on the matter. They did not justify their actions, nor have they expressed their regret.

Frodo wants nothing more than to mourn the loss of Gandalf and Chris, as well as Danny. He does not know what happened, or what led him to his actions. However it was clear to Frodo's eyes that Chris was innocent of his brother's act. He did not know and his death has completely shocked him. Frodo knows this. He saw Chris' face; he saw the loss, confusion, and completely lost expression, before he locked it all away in a mask of indifference when he responded to Boromir's cry.

Frodo knows what happened to Chris was wrong, but he did nothing to stop it. He could do nothing to stop it and that is what he grieves for the most. He had not the power to stop what he saw. So how then can he complete this task?

"Stay close, young Hobbits! They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods, an Elf-witch, of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell…" Gimli was saying trying to get the young hobbits' mind on other things.

_"Frodo."_ A whispered female voice spoke. Frodo looked around in alarm trying to find the source. The others continued walking on. Did they not hear the voice?

"…and are never seen again." Gimli finished.

"_Your coming to us is as the footsteps of doom. You bring great evil here, Ring-bearer_!" Frodo stops in his tracks.

"Mister Frodo?" Sam comes up to his friend, wondering what ails him.

"Well, here is one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox. Oh!" Gimli says when he sees the arrow pointed to his face. Frodo looks at his companions and sees that they are all surrounded with arrows at the ready and pointed at them. Legolas has his own arrow nocked, but it will do him no good. A blond elf steps forward towards Aragorn.

"The dwarf breaths so loud; we could have shot him in the dark." The elf spoke. Gimli gave a small growl in response.

The elves lead the fellowship away deeper into the woods. An hour into their travels with the elves the lead of the elven group went back where they came from and took three elves with him.

* * *

Haldir is confused. When he was first sent to retrieve the fellowship, he was asked to lead them away from Caras Galadhon. He was to offer any food and supplies they needed, but in the end they were not allowed into the heart of the elvish home.

So Haldir lead the fellowship to a camp where they could give supplies and any medical treatment they need, when the Lady Galadriel, communicated to his mind, that there is one more he must bring to her along with the fellowship. This made pause and think. Who was this person to make Lady Galadriel change her decision and allow the fellowship into her domain?

Haldir was disrupted from his musings at the sound of footsteps coming closer. They were light. Too light for a human, but not for an elf. As he watched for the elf, he was overcome by the smell before he saw the figure. Haldir smelled the blood. Orc's blood and blood of another, more than likely his own. He smelled of death.

When Haldir saw him he saw a small figure, barely over five feet. He was unarmed. His left hand was clutching his chest. He was covered in red blood, his blood. He was panting harshly. He tried to get his breathing under control but it was not working. He stumbled onto a tree. He was heavily leaning on the frame. He hunched over, looking on the verge of collapsing. He's panting much harsher now. He continues this before he tries to stand straight, or as straight as ever. He looks up and notices the man's face.

His face is covered in sweat and dirt, but he notices the skin. The light brown skin uncommon in Middle Earth. He also notices his stature; small, delicate almost feminine, but his eyes are hard and determined. Most of all he notices the age. He looks closer to a boy than a man.

"Are you here to kill me?" He asked in a low voice.

"No, we were sent to help you." Haldir replies. The boy sighs loudly.

"And here I was hoping for an easy way out." He says before collapsing. The others immediately rush to his aid. When they reach him, Haldir inspects him, looking for wounds. He moves the hand and sees the blood that is now pouring out. Haldir immediately rips the boy's shirt open and is once again confused. He sees thick light brown fabric wrapped across his chest. The fabric is covered in blood, so Haldir cuts and remove the fabric as well. What he finds has his eyes going wide and his face going beet red.

* * *

They were fifteen minutes away from the outpost, when Haldir and the other three left. When they arrived they were given food and medical treatment when they reached it. The hobbits were glad to have something that was properly cooked. They still refused to talk to the others, preferring to speak amongst themselves.

Aragorn was on edge. He has waited for over an hour for Haldir's return. He was suspicious about being sent here instead of Caras Galadhon. He wanted to know what would call Haldir away.

"Are you alright, Aragorn?" Legolas asks standing beside him

"I do not know if we are welcomed to Caras Galadhon." Aragorn replied honestly. He looked towards Legolas and asked something that plagued his mind.

"Are you well? You and Christian were close." Legolas gives a small grimace.

"Not as close as I would have thought." He replies.

Truth is Legolas does not know how to feel. He likes (_liked!)_ Chris. He trusted him and it was all in vain. He was angry for what happened, but he never expected it to get that far. He did not anticipate Boromir killing him. He did not anticipate the hurtful look he received when he was on his knees staring at his eyes. To say the least, Legolas was conflicted.

Aragorn turned when he heard a commotion at the camp's entrance. Haldir and the others have returned and the Marchwarden had someone in his arms. Haldir had the person wrapped in his cloak. His face was not visible.

"Get the healers! She is in dire need!" Haldir ordered. He ran to a tent cradling the woman in his arms. When he emerged, nearly an hour later, his shirt was covered in blood and dirt.

"Who did you find?" Aragorn questions walking to Haldir. The others turn to Haldir, curious as well.

"A young elleth. She was wounded, by a sword. I do not understand how she is still alive. The wound should have pierced her heart. Yet she still breaths, but only barely."

The fellowship stares in shock. For Boromir it is like falling in cold water. _It cannot be!_ They suspect they know who he is talking about and Haldir feels the same after seeing their reaction.

"You know her?" He asks

"Does she have short black hair that barely touches her shoulders?" Frodo asks.

"Is she dressed like a man?" Pippin.

"Does she have a mark on her right wrist?" Sam.

"Does she have darker skin?" Merry.

The hobbits are looking to Haldir with hopeful eyes. Hope that they did not lose a friend. Haldir does not disappoint. He nods in the affirmative.

"Are you sure she is a woman?" Legolas asks this time. Legolas replays a conversation he had with Chris before the Crebain came. He said that he had to tell him something, but the time or place wasn't appropriate. Was this it? At this question, Haldir goes red again.

"I am sure." He says simply.

"Can we see her?" Frodo asks timidly. Merry nods, holding Chris' weapons tightly. Boromir had taken them from Chris when she had fallen, but Merry had taken them back and refused to let go. The other hobbits stood in front of Merry whenever Boromir looked to reclaim the blades.

"She is still resting, but it is fine so long as you give me your word you will not disturb her." Haldir says. The hobbits nod enthusiastically, before Haldir allows them to enter.

"If it's really our Chris, then she'll wake up any moment." Pippin whispered to the others, but the elves heard. When the hobbits were inside, Haldir turned his attention to the rest of the group.

"Who is she and how did she come by that wound?" The others looked anywhere but Haldir's eyes.


	2. I Need to Leave but I Have to Stay

**This was a total bitch writing. I have been writing and rewriting this chapter, over and over again, until I felt that I finally got it right. This chapter was a bitch mainly, because I'm seriously deviating from movie canon. Difficult to write, but still had fun with this. Enjoy. As always, please review.**

**Chapter 2: I Need to Leave but I Have to Stay**

_Spare me your judgments and spare me your dreams_

_Cause recently mine have been tearing my seams_

_I sit alone in this winter clarity which clouds my mind_

_Alone in the wind and the rain you left me_

_It's getting dark darling, too dark to see_

_And I'm on my knees, and your faith in shreds, it seems_

_But plant your hope with good seeds_

_Don't cover yourself with thistle and weeds_

_Rain down, rain down on me- _Thistle and Weeds, Mumford and Sons

* * *

"_Chris? What are you doing? You can't lie down there. You have to wake up." He said the voice that she hadn't heard in over two years._

"_I can't."_

"_Yes, you can. You can because you have to. Remember your promise. You have to get up. Please? For me. Please, get up. You need to get up."_

"_I'm so tired. I just want to sleep."_

"_I know, babe, I know. But you can't, you need to get up. He needs you. You promised me."_

* * *

_Comfortable. Soft. A bed? When did I go to sleep in a bed?_ Chris thought; slowly waking up trying to replay the events that would lead up to sleeping in a bed. The pain in her chest was still there, less intense but still present. It was much less than she remembered. Chris tried to open her eyes.

"She's moving. I think she's waking up." A voice near her feet say. _Merry? Pippin?_ Her mind tries to supply. When she opens her eyes she sees Sam to her left. Looking right, she sees Frodo and Pippin and Merry by her legs.

Chris closes her eyes again and tries to sit up. She groans in pain. Her chest still hurts like a bitch, now. Protesting any form of physical movement. Chris ignores it and continues. A pair of hands are on her shoulders; a presence bigger than her pushing her back on the bed and that has her waking up and reacting in a flash. The feelings of confinement forcing her to act to break free of it.

Chris grabs the arm on her left shoulder, twists her body and forces her weight on the arm sending the presence toppling over her and onto the floor next to her bed. Chris goes with him, hands going to his neck, eyes flashing into focus on the face. The elf has his hands on her wrists not restraining just letting her know he'll fight back the moment she starts to squeeze. Chris glares at the blond elf, but immediately remembers him as the elf that she met in the forest. She makes the connection that he was the one who saved her and brought her here. He reminds her of another blond that she would rather forget. The thought of Legolas sends another different ache in her chest.

She has got to stop meeting blond elves in the forest, she decides immediately. She's starting to think that its hazardous to her health.

"Chris?" A timid Merry's voice reaches her ears. She looks at Merry and the other hobbits along with Boromir, Aragorn and Legolas standing behind them. They just rushed in when they heard the commotion. Chris then looked down and saw the position she was in. She was straddling the elf in a very compromising way (compromising for the elf, for Chris it's not so much compromising since its very familiar).

Chris let go of the guy's neck and tried to move to get off, but the pain, momentarily forgotten, came back and with a vengeance. Chris let out a pained groan, clutching her chest, she noticed something else.

The elf, noticing her pain, sits up and tries to help her. However that was the wrong thing to do since he was now face to face to with the elleth. Chris snapped her arms forward, pushing the elf down on his back again and gave Chris the force to jump off the elf. She landed on her back and sat up again.

The others were looking at her, or really her chest. Her chest was covered with bandages, but it was still unmistakable. Breasts, two of them, were clearly visible under the bandages. Chris looked at the fellowship, then at her chest. The bandages hide nothing, whatever thought she has of hiding her gender or revealing it at a more appropriate moment is now out the window.

"Are you done? Or do you want me to spread my legs so you really know for sure?" Chris asks in a tired tone.

The face was the same, the attitude still there, but the body was different from what anyone expected. More than that, the eyes are different. The light and fire in Chris' eyes are missing. A dull, gloomy expression is seen in her eyes. What alarms Legolas the most is her glow, the light that all elves have, is barely there.

"Does anyone have clothing I can borrow? The shirt I understand, but did you have to take my pants too? At least you let me keep the underwear." Chris says half-heartedly. The sarcasm was there, but it was different. There was no real bite or emotion to it.

"We were cleaning any wounds you still had." Haldir handed his cloak to her. Chris took it and wrapped it around her middle. She stretched her arm towards Haldir.

"Can you help me up?" She asked with a grimace, either from the pain of the injury or wounded pride for seeking help, Legolas did not know. Haldir helped her on her feet and guided her to the cot for her to sit.

"You're a woman." Legolas finally spoke. Chris barely spared him a glance. Instead she focused her attention to the hobbits. Answering to them instead.

"My mother was expecting twin boys. Imagine her surprise when she saw the first one to be a boy, but not the second. She already picked the names and decided to keep them. It doesn't change anything. It just means there is nothing dangling between my legs." Chris joked.

"Why did you not tell us?" Aragorn asks this time, an edge of desperation in his voice, trying to make sense of the situation.

"My gender changes nothing. I know that, but you don't. You'll see me as something weak and in need of coddling and I refused to be left behind not when Da-Danny was going to go off with you?"

"And look at where that has gotten us." Boromir mumbled. Legolas shot a glare to Boromir. Chris just stared at him, expression indiscernible.

"Boromir-" Aragorn was about to reprimand him, but Chris cut him off.

"He's right. We should have never come along. We should have never been here in the first place. We're supposed to be dead. Hell, we should have died long before we stepped on to that convoy. But we- I'm not and I'm not one to die easily, so if you want to kill me. You're gonna have to put a little more effort than that." Chris looked to Boromir.

"How are you alive?" Haldir asks, looking at Chris. Haldir knows about Chris, that she is not of this world, that she is a witch and her occupation in her world. They told Haldir about the incident in the mines. How her brother pushed Gandalf and went with him over the bridge. Haldir listened to it all, unsure of what to make of the girl they described and the one he is staring at.

A girl, because that is what she was, a young girl so very close to breaking, physically and emotionally. A girl trying to fight off the darkness, but is losing the battle. For Haldir, it is difficult to look into her eyes, because he can see the battle raging on, but she wants nothing more than to give up. He wonders what it is she still fights for, what gave her the strength to get up and run to their sanctuary with such a wound.

"My heart. I was born with a medical condition, both Danny and I. Our hearts are on the right side of the chest, an exact mirror image of a normal heart." She explains tonelessly.

"How did you not die from the blood loss."

"I focused my power on stopping it." Haldir nodded at her. Thinking. Lady Galadriel wishes to see them as soon as possible, but the girl still needs rest.

"Chris?" Merry asks stepping up to Chris, holding her sword to her. Chris looks at her offered sword. She takes it with shaking hands. When her skin touches the weapon, she is flooded with images. Merry taking the sword from Boromir. The hobbits refusing to relinquish the blade, or the smaller one that she had. She saw them, miserable and silent from the rest of the fellowship.

They believed in her. They still cared. And right now, she didn't realize how much she needed that. How much it affected her to know that she was not alone. She had people she could rely on, truly rely on.

She looked up to Merry, her eyes shining with silent gratitude. She reached out to him and Merry was shoved forward into her waiting arms. She wrapped them around his neck and hugged him.

"Thank you." She said quietly into his ears. "All of you. Thank you." She turned to the rest hobbits. The hobbits smiled at her.

"Lady Chris?" Haldir spoke quietly feeling he was intruding.

"Just Chris." She spoke.

"Are you strong enough to travel?"

"I can still walk."

"Very well. Then get dressed. We will make way to Caras Galadhon."

"You cannot bring her. She is dangerous. She could still pose a threat", Boromir protested.

"Maybe. However, the Lady Galadriel wishes to meet her." Chris focuses her attention to Haldir.

"How does she know me?"

"I do not know La- Chris. I know that she will not allow the fellowship into our home if you are not with them."

* * *

It was dark when they arrived. Already deep into the night, but one cannot deny the raw and natural beauty that Caras Galadhon held. Boromir stared in awe at his surroundings.

"Beautiful." Chris whispered to herself. She was near the hobbits. They surrounded her in their own protective circle. She is still too weak to walk, but she still does without complaint nor asking for help.

Boromir still does not trust her. She is not of this world she is dangerous and can pose a threat. She and her brother are not from here. They have no business in this world. He has no way of knowing their true intentions. He has sworn to protect Gondor to his last dying breath. And the heart of the matter was that he did not trust her, even less so after what her brother has done.

In the beginning he knew of Christian and her brother Daniel. He knew that he should antagonize Christian and Daniel. He knew for the good of the fellowship, it would be for the best to have them on their side. Their skills are of great value for the cause. For some reason he could not. He always found something, a fault or an annoyance.

When he first met Christian and Daniel, he was guarded and weary of their intentions, but none the less impressed. He saw what Christian did with the 'IPod' as they called it. At first he thought it to be a form of magic, but it was soon explained to be technology, and not magic at all. Boromir was truly impressed and in awe of them. He was impressed that they were skilled fighters and Christian rarely used her magic to fight. He was impressed, he truly was. He just does not trust them.

He doesn't know what happened. What made him turn his mind from seeing Christian and Daniel from potential allies to enemies. He was willing to befriend them, but after the council. Everything changed. His thinking changed. He was not only weary of the twins, but of Aragorn. Isildur's heir. The man who turned his back on Gondor, but now makes play for the throne.

They are lead to an open space, in front of them is a stair that leads to an archway. Haldir presents them to Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, he then stands off to the side. They are both beautiful and elegant as all elves are. However, it is Lady Galadriel that holds his attention.

"The Enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I have much desire to speak with him." The lord asks, but no one answers. Galadriel looks to Aragorn. Aragorn looks down, unable to meet her eyes.

"Gandalf has fallen into shadow." Lady Galadriel states, as if confirming what she already knew. The others looked down in silent grief. For Boromir, all he wanted to do was shout and point to Christian, claiming it was her fault.

Lady Galadriel looks to Boromir. The moment their eyes meet, he hears her voice.

_Do not allow the truth to be twisted. Do not allow yourself to be further corrupted._

"What now becomes of this Fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost."

Boromir breaks his gaze, unable to hold it. The words send chills down his spine.

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all." The Lady of Light spoke. Boromir risks another look.

_Follow your father's ambition for power and you alienate yourself and will lead Gondor to its fall. Believe in your comrades, they will lead you to the right path._

This time Galadriel shifts her gaze and focuses on the hobbits and Chris.

"Yet hope remains while the company is true." She says, eyes now focused on Chris. Chris rubs her temple and glares at Galadriel.

"Stop it." She hisses lowly. Galadriel doesn't respond just stares at her.

"No, I'm not. Shut up and get out of my head!"

"You cannot leave. Your presence has changed too much, your actions have already shifted the events to come. If you leave all hope is lost."

"And if I stay here. I'll just make it worse!" She yelled.

"Boromir has already been corrupted by the Ring that he was ready to fight for it on the mountain. It's already twisted his mind, making him think that I'm the enemy. He already tried to kill me!" Boromir's eyes widened at the statement. What was she speaking of.

"And if you leave he will focus his attention on another." Galadriel says calmly.

"Not my problem. I can't stay here. I have no reason to stay here and I want to just go. I need to go."

"And go where. You have no home in your world." Galadriel retorted. Chris froze at the comment.

"Yes, I do. My home is with my friends. It is with the people who know me and with whom I can trust. It is with those that have seen me at my greatest, but stay when they see me at my lowest and I need to see them. And there is nothing you can do to stop me." With every word spoken, Chris was fading. Frodo and Merry grabbed her arms, but it made it worse. They were fading with her.

Galadriel's face is one of open shock, then horror. She moves to Frodo. He cannot leave, the ring bearer cannot leave. However as she closed in on her, she began to fade as well. _It was Chris._ This was her doing. Her power is taking them all. Galadriel looks to her love and sees him right behind her. He is as transparent as her, as well as Haldir.

The fellowship along with Haldir and the Lord and Lady of Caras Galadhon, are gone without a trace.

When they return, two hours had passed. They were away for two weeks. Both statements are true.

* * *

When Frodo awakens, it is to the sound of high pitch screeching. The fellowship is standing in a protective circle around him. The other hobbits are with him along with Galadriel and Chris. Celeborn and Haldir are both armed. The room they are in is different from anything Frodo has ever seen.

"You are unauthorized to be here. Please leave immediately or I will activate building defenses. You have thirty seconds to leave." A male voice spoke. No one could see where it was from.

"Chris you must wake up!" Frodo tries to shake Chris. He rolls her over and saw her wound. It was bleeding again. She had over exerted herself and her wound has opened. She slowly opens her eyes. A dazed look on her face.

"You have 15 seconds left. Please leave the premises." Chris immediately sat up and yelled.

"**Creator override: Cortez, Christian T., Alpha-Whiskey-One-Seven-Three-Foxtrot-Two-Zero!"**

The screeching immediately subsided. Chris got up slowly, clutching her chest again. Chris moved to the front of the group.

"Chris?" The same voice spoke again, but with a soft, hopeful tone.

"Yeah." Then a man appeared before them. He had short dirty, blond hair. He was wearing faded blue jeans with a red shirt under a black trench coat. His blue eyes were focused entirely on Chris.

"Chris!" He yelled this time smiling and moving closer but not touching.

"Yeah. Hey LOKI." Chris said, before she collapsed and went _thru _LOKI's holographic body.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, yes! Didn't I tell you, I was planning on taking the fellowship to Chris' modern world. *Laughs evilly* Now, I'm really going to go nuts and introduce you to a two of Chris' co-workers (I have a brief profile of them on my profile). This is exciting and very terrifying at the same time. So as always, please review. Reviews encourage me to work faster.**


	3. While You Were Gone

**So this is me being generous and giving a filler chapter that will serve as a background to what happened while Chris and Danny were gone. Also here's another OC that I've been trying to introduce. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: While You Were Gone**

_If you're lost and alone _

_Or you're sinking like a stone _

_Carry on _

_May your past be the sound _

_Of your feet upon the ground _

_Carry on_ – Carry on, Fun

* * *

Chris woke up in her bed, in her room, in her building and breathed a sigh of relief. _It was all a dream, a very vivid, imaginative dream_, she thought sitting up. Her relief turned to heart stopping horror when she saw the wound in her chest, covered by gauze and tape. She removed the bandages, and saw the wound. She had to be sure, _needed _to be sure.

The wound was much cleaner and thinner than she expected. The line just above her left breast was there, an angry red line that could only be by a sword. The wound was covered by thick, clear gel. One she recognized as one of Danny's liquid band aids.

It was a gel he created for field agents that were wounded and couldn't go to a hospital. The gel was first created to stop hemorrhaging. That way, agents could continue moving and reach a safe house where the wound would be properly treated. Then Danny saw the potential for the gel and continued to experiment. He created a newer version of the gel that would accelerate cellular regeneration and help the body completely recover from wounds, without any visible scarring. He was inspired to finish it when he saw Chris, after she came out of her second torture experience. Her body was riddled with ugly red lines on her back and front. They started beating her, but when that got them nowhere, they went to using tools. What got him were the power drills that were on her hands and feet.

She wasn't expected to be able to use her hands properly again without pain and she may not be able to walk without a cane. Danny worked tirelessly while Chris was still recovering. He already started it before Chris was taken, but after she was brought back, he worked tirelessly to perfect the formula. When he did finish it and used it on her, it worked like a charm. Applying it twice a day and within two weeks, the wounds looked to be at least six weeks old. Within a month, Chris was able to lose the cane, but still had to stop after running two miles and her hands shook a few times when she gripped things. Two months the pain was gone, and the scars looked like thin lines on her body, a lighter tone on her skin, but not all that visible, especially after a tan.

Looking at the gel and she could only think of Danny and hope, _pray,_ that it was really just a dream.

"LOKI?" Chris called silently.

"Yes." LOKI asked hesitantly. That was not a good sign, when your AI was expressing genuine concern.

"How did I get here?" Chris asked carefully.

"You were carried here."

"By who?"

"I believe he calls himself Legolas." LOKI answers.

"Fuck." Chris sinks back down and covers her eyes with her arms. _Why couldn't have been a dream?_

* * *

When Chris and Danny disappeared, the gang essentially, and Sean means this with the deepest respect to the actual field agents his friends were, flipped the fuck out. That was not an easy feat, and Sean would have been impressed that the top agents of Omega, often known as the Mission Impossible Team (not an inaccurate title since one of their movies was definitely based off of one of their missions, Aaron is still forbidden to talk to strangers in a bar), were literally running around like chickens with their heads cut off, again he says this with love, if he wasn't busy freaking the fuck out with the rest of them.

All of them, him, Aaron, JJ and Nina were completely thrown in a loop when they lost the two people who not only brought them all together, but keep them as a close tight nit clan. The bonds and connections that brought them together run deeper than Omega. There was no sign of them. They knew about the mission and how it went south. They knew about the convoy and how they were attacked. They knew the body count and saw that they were missing both Chris and Danny. DNA, or lack thereof, confirmed that Chris and Danny both survived, but could not be found. When LOKI tried locating them using the GPS tracking chips they had on them, they found that the chips just vanished from the screen in a blink. One minute it was there, the next it was gone. That was how they knew something was wrong before the higher ups.

So the gang did what any good children would do when Mommy and Daddy go missing. They started searching for them, only on a more global scale. Sean started working with LOKI and hacks different databases on different continents. They checked everything, national registries, DMV, traffic cameras, even local and government police agencies on different countries that were modernized by technology. They checked it all, running facial recognition and retina scans on everything. They got a big fat nothing.

They all continued doing their jobs. Aaron, Nina and JJ continued doing assignments with the same flawless efficiency, they still worked together on most assignments, but it was different. The loss of their friends, their mentors was felt by all and the effects were visible. When they weren't on a mission, then they were looking for Chris and Danny. There was no hanging out, no time together. Just work either for Omega or their off the record search.

Even Aaron, whom Sean used to be able to talk with easily, was more reclusive. Even after the –we'll-say-its-mutual-but-its-really-not-mutual-and-who-the-hell-started-this? - break up; they still maintained an easy going friendship. They still flirted (a lot), but it never got anywhere. They both thought about it, but then they see Chris who never really recovered and perished the thought immediately. Now, it's awkward and strained and both realized how much they relied on Chris to help them. Because Chris was the one they went to on their individual time to talk to her about the friendship and while she would keep yelling at them to 'man the fuck up and tell each other that they love the other' she still supported them and really she was the bridge in their friendship.

So really they needed them back. They needed them both back. Then after eighteen months of searching, Sean and LOKI looking at different databases and Aaron, Nina, and JJ looking at potential leads in different continents, JJ and Nina went off the radar. Even after all the time searching with no hope, they never gave up. And even if they did, LOKI and the bots would not give up looking for his creator and her brother. So Sean and the others didn't either.

Then when JJ and Nina disappeared in the same pattern as Chris and Danny, Sean knew something was wrong. Really wrong and Aaron, knew something, but wasn't telling. After that, Aaron and Sean stopped talking at all. They went on doing their own things. Running their own investigations. Omega was getting suspicious. Two operatives gone MIA was one thing, but another two going missing off-duty and the proverbial alarm bells were ringing.

Aaron was assigned as Sean's new watcher (babysitter), but both were being watched with much more scrutiny than ever before. They were being followed everywhere. It was to the point that neither could go to Chris and Danny's home, which was their home too, because they were highly protective of LOKI and the bots. They were Chris' babies and they would never risk Chris' creations, not to Omega who'll see them and treat them as potential weapons.

So, it was nearly two years later, and just shy of four weeks since Sean has seen Aaron or LOKI personally that he gets a message via text from LOKI. Four words that nearly triggered asthma attack.

'_**Found her**__**. Come Soon.'-LOKI**_.

It took him three hours to ditch his tail (they're very persistent), but once he got to the building he was expecting to find Chris and Danny there looking sheepish saying something along the line 'Sorry, we're late. It was a long ride home' (Danny) or 'We got distracted and let's leave it at that' (Chris). What he didn't expect was the cast of Lord of the Rings in full costume.

"What the fuck!?" And really can you blame his reaction and actual asthma attack?

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it. Next chapter, Sean and Chris talk, a lot and decide where to go from there. Aaron won't be introduced until probably chapter six or seven. So please review. I need the positive reinforcement. Ta ta!**


	4. Glad to See a Familiar Face

**Next chapter should be up by Wednesday. Review please. I needs the positive stimuli. I needs it.**

**Chapter 4: Glad to See a Familiar Face**

_Well, some nights I wish that this all would end_

_'Cause I could use some friends for a change. _- Some Nights, Fun

* * *

"LOKI who bandaged me up?" Chris asked. Looking at the wound and clothing she was wearing. She was wearing a black wife beater and soft, fluffy, black sleeping shorts.

"Skittles cleaned your wounds and Dumdum helped change your clothes. They refused to allow anyone near you once they saw you."

"Where are they now?"

"They're with Sean." That got Chris running out the door and down to the first floor to the first floor which was the living/entertainment/dining & kitchen floor. Chris didn't bother going for the elevator and just ran the down the stairs.

Once she was there, she saw the fellowship in various couches and sofas, but she only had eyes for Sean. The one who was sitting in a chair he took from the dining table, and placed it somewhere where he could keep an eye on all of them. Sean, who was sitting on said chair for a second, before he jumped and all but tackled Chris to the floor in a fierce hug. Then Sean noticed something.

"What are you doing?" Sean asked confused.

"Hugging you." Chris deadpanned still hugging him.

"Yeah. Yeah I can see that, but why are you hugging me and… you know, not kicking my ass. For invading your space, I mean."

"Just shut up and accept it."

Sean did and he was getting really nervous because there was one question he wanted to ask and he didn't know how to ask it. But Chris being the mind reader that she always is answered his silent question.

"He didn't make it." Chris said quietly and let him go but still held on to his hands. Sean can only stare at her, grief and shock holding him in place. He doesn't remember leading her to the chair he was just sitting on. He doesn't remember her asking her, begging, and then ultimately demanding her to explain. _What the fuck happened!?_ He remembers shouting in the end after his triad.

All he remembers is watching her. He sees her hunched over form, shoulders sagging in defeat and head down. And that is the most haunting sight he has ever seen. He's never seen Chris so lost, so _broken,_ and it breaks his heart. He didn't see her like this when Gabriel died. He saw the glued-together-by-Danny aftermath of Gabriel's, his best friend, death. He never saw her break, he saw her trying to recover but not break. He was once curious to see how she looked when she was broken (he has always known her as strong unyielding and unafraid he even wondered what she looked like fragile, or if she could even feign fragility), but looking at it now, he wishes never even thought of it. The reality is so different, and infinitely worse, than the imagination. He sees Dumdum and Skittles walk over to her.

* * *

Dumdum and Skittles are small human-shaped robots. They have eyes, arms, legs and a neck and torso to connect the limbs. They are two and a half feet tall. Dumdum was the first born (created?). He is older than LOKI, but he was the second to have a self-learning intelligence. He was originally just a moving-remote controlled robot. When LOKI was created and the AI was fully functioning, Chris decided to give Dumdum the same life she gave LOKI. However, he wasn't as sophisticated as LOKI, hence the name Dumdum (that and he was constantly stealing JJ's Dum-Dum lollipops and squirreling them away in various hiding places, he has no idea why).

Skittles is the baby of the trio. When Chris created him, she returned from a 72-hour-only-10-hours-of-sleep assignment and she was doped to the gills on pain meds. No one knew how she drove home, much less build another robot. All Sean knows is that she wouldn't shut up about the craptastic food they were serving on location, and raving on about how she could build a fucking cook, before she closed herself in the workshop and didn't come out for another 48 hours. When she emerged there were bags under her eyes and her hair was a greasy mess and she was way too pale, prompting Danny and Gabriel into full on mother hen mode.

Skittles turned out to be an awesome cook and had added functions on his torso that allowed him to perfectly toast bread and make the legendary perfectly golden brown pancakes that only television and professional chefs can make (the perfect waffles were added when he was upgraded). He got the name Skittles when Aaron and JJ got drunk and wondered if he could perfectly cook Skittles candies (they were that drunk). The bot ended up heating up the candies and started shooting them at the spies while making a series of beeping noises. Aaron and JJ got really scared when the beeping noises turned out to be Morse code for 'Taste the rainbow! Motherfuckers!' They later exclaimed that getting hit by the sweet projectiles was the equivalent of getting hit by a BB gun, or it really fucking hurt! Chris later came into the room, take a quick glance, walked out and returned thirty minutes later with a party bag of Skittles and handed them over to the bot and told him his name was officially Skittles and not cook or robo-chef. The bot didn't argue with it and went back to teaching two professional spies and assassins, trained by Chris herself, why one does not fuck with her bot.

* * *

Dumdum climbs onto her lap and just sits there and Skittles is handing over a small waffle that he's just made. He sees that she's thin and weak and tries to make her better by feeding her. It's his way.

Chris takes the offered food and murmurs a quiet thank you and takes a small bite, thanking the bot again after she chews and swallows. Sean is ready to shout what happened again when Chris starts speaking.

She leaves nothing out. She speaks about the assignment.

It was a Jiminy Cricket assignment.

Their decision and the consequences.

The jump to an alternate universe.

_Her powers and ancestry_.

Danny's decision to fight in this war and her willingness to follow his lead.

Legolas

The Mines of Moria and Danny's last order (who the fuck is Chucky?).

Everything that happened after that.

Sean just stands there quietly absorbing everything. He knows that they're not alone and the rest of the group is watching and listening to everything. He isn't really paying attention to them. His entire focus is on Chris laying everything down like it was nothing. No emotion, no inflection in her voice, no hesitation except when she was speaking about Danny's death and she has never lifted her head and showed her face. He's glad they don't speak, because if there is one interruption. Chris would immediately crawl back into herself and never speak again.

When she finally finishes, he tries to absorb the information. He knows what she said, he has an eidetic memory he can recite the whole thing word for word, but he doesn't know how to believe it.

"LOKI."

"Yes, Mister Olcan," LOKI answers and Sean knows he has to choose his words carefully. LOKI only calls people by their last name if he sees someone as a complete stranger and therefore a potential enemy that can cause harm to his creator.

"Do you have any recorded instances of Chris' telekinesis?" LOKI is silent for a few minutes, before he appears in holographic form and answers, eyes never leaving Sean's.

"Since age 27, I have recorded 32 minor instances of abnormal movements, each occurring when Chris was in the room and only 13 of those occurrences in the presence of Danny. Would you like me to play recordings?"

"No, I'll take your word for it." And Sean does believe him. LOKI doesn't lie, he just doesn't tell you the whole truth and he knows he's not lying about this.

"Sean?" Sean immediately goes on his knees in front of Chris taking her hands in his. Chris finally looks to Sean, and while he wants to avoid eye contact now, he doesn't because he has too much respect for Chris.

"How do I fix this? I don't know how to fix this." Chris says, her eyes lost and confused, but not crying, and he know there will be tears. It's just a matter of when.

"Don't worry. We'll figure something out. Just get some rest. You need to rest. Okay." Chris doesn't complain about the rest. Chris shouldn't even be up right now. She was given drugs that should have kept her knocked out for twelve hours, but she's up and about in six.

"Dumdum, Skittles take her to her room. Hobbits (and Sean feels awkward just saying it) can you go with her and makes sure she stays asleep." The hobbits nodded and followed Chris and her bots to the elevator. When the doors closed, Sean turned to the others.

"We need to talk." It would be less talking and more of a long, thoroughly effective, I'm-gonna-make-you-assholes-so-fucking-guilt-ridden lecture. And Sean wasn't sure who he wanted to kill more, Legolas or Boromir.


	5. Act Normal Then Maybe the Pain Will Go

**Chapter 5: Act Normal then Maybe the Pain Will Go Away**

_This is not how I am_

_I have become comfortably numb_ – Comfortably Numb, Pink Floyd

* * *

"How long was I asleep?" Chris asked the moment she woke up this time.

"Over a day," Merry answered. Chris nodded silently mind wandering to things. She's ashamed for her outburst of emotion and needs a distraction again.

"LOKI, what day is it?"

"It is Saturday, December 14, 2013. The time is 3:23 in the afternoon."

"What!? How is this possible? I was gone for a few months, five months at the most! What happened while I was gone?" Chris was about to strip when she caught herself and turned to the hobbits. While she has no shame, she knows the hobbits do.

"Um, could you step outside for a moment, I need to change." The hobbits nodded in agreement.

"Might I suggest a bath," Frodo spoke.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Actually, we all could use one. Skittles, Dumdum, can you take them to the communal showers on the second floor, LOKI please show them how to operate them."

"Alright, what about clothing? I highly doubt we have clothing in their size." LOKI asked.

"They can borrow some of my Sean's clothing, for now. As for undergarments, I'm sure Aaron won't mind losing a few boxers. Dumdum can you please get the clothing ready for them."

With that the others were off, discovering the wonders off a shower.

The showers had a total of ten stalls; there were no cameras or holographs for LOKI to present himself, just a speaker on the ceiling (Chris values privacy, but she wants to always talk to LOKI in case there is ever any trouble). So LOKI went to using Skittles for help when showing the others how to operate the handles and the difference between shampoo, conditioner and body wash. After five minutes of explanation, the hobbits were left to shower alone and Skittles had gone off to help his older brother.

The hobbits took almost an hour, under the shower head; 15 minutes scrubbing and washing their hair, the rest just standing under the water in amazement. When they left the showers wrapped up in a towel, they went to the changing rooms adjacent to the showers. There was clothing already waiting for them. When they changed and left to the elevator they were greeted by Chris in tight jeans and a black muscle shirt of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.

"So you enjoyed your shower or were you really just that confused?" Chris asked in a teasing tone, but didn't reach her eyes. Chris assessed the hobbits. They were all wearing jeans, but they were rolled up to their calves. Sam was wearing sweats since there were no jeans that would fit his waist size. They had white under shirts on and no shoes. For small people they had really big feet.

"It was truly delightful. Was it done by magic?" Pippin asked excitedly. Chris gave a small smile.

"Nope, it was all technology. We are much more advanced in that area. I'll show you more about our achievements. Just wait until I show you food." Chris smiled again, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Come on, we need to talk to the others."

When they reached the common room, she saw everyone gathered at the dining table. They were eating food common in Middle Earth and easily obtained here.

"Have any of you showered?" Was the first thing Chris said and garnered everyone's attention.

Aragorn, Legolas and Boromir looked up at her and Chris noticed the guilt in their eyes and their bodies screaming with the need to run away. Sean made a small noise and they decided that running was a bad call so they settled down, but they were wound up tightly, just getting ready to bolt. Gimli looked the same way as well, but he had a cautious smile on his face. Galadriel, Celeborn and Haldir look uncomfortable all around.

"Good day, lassie! I see you have recovered well." Gimli said jovially, Chris narrowed her eyes.

"I was asleep for a day, what the hell happened. LOKI!?"

"I had a talk with them." Sean stated.

"Uh huh, what kind of talk?" Chris focused her attention on the small blond.

"Nothing about your personal history, but about mine and your mission's history. Nothing that others don't already know about you and things I don't mind saying about my past."

"You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did."

"I don't need you fighting my battles you know."

"No, but you do need someone in your corner and you won't bother fighting if you don't feel like it's worth it." Sean said.

"A lot of people hate me. I tend not to cry over it if someone tries to kill me." The others flinched at the statement and Boromir made a little choking sound.

"Be that as it may, they still needed a lecture." Chris regarded Sean for a long moment before she nodded her head and went to the table and sat in between Sean and Celeborn. The hobbits joined sitting with the fellowship and taking the seats closest to Sean and Chris.

"We need to talk. So I heard two years have passed. What's happened while I was gone?" Chris started grabbing some bread and cheese along with fruit.

"Aaron is on assignment. He'll be back in four days. JJ and Nina went missing close to six months ago. It happened here in the city, but the GPS tracking chips we have on them went off the grid in the blink of an eye. Just like yours did."

"…"

"You're not surprised."

"Remember what I told you about summoning a dragon?"

"You told me he said some things, you never said what."

"Yeah, well he told me that JJ and Marisol aren't all that they seem. He was implying that they were like me. I'm assuming JJ left and took Nina with him, or something happened to trigger it like me."

"Marisol?"

"Yeah, you remember my old marines buddy that I had and still keep tabs on?"

"The one who's a lieutenant for the Gulf Cartel?"

"That would be the one. Marisol is Richie's wife."

"So you want to visit her to get answers?"

"Yes, and according to a vision I had, a few days after I arrived in Rivendell. That is exactly where I need to go."

"How do you know?"

"They were there, even those three who I've never even seen or known (pointing to Galadriel, Celeborn and Haldir) also, the me in the vision told them Danny was dead."

"…"

"Alright. When do we leave?"

"I need two days to prepare."

"Why two days?"

"Because when we leave we won't be coming back and there's no way in hell I'm leaving those three idiots behind."

"Hey! I wasn't the one who was impaled with a sword," LOKI says heatedly; Chris flips the bird at LOKI's transparent body, "Trust me sweetie, if I had a dick I'd go get laid." He smirks.

"Well, yeah. I need two days. Get their measurements and get some clothing for them, get them things for outdoor wear. Use a mask and contacts if you need to. If Marisol doesn't know or won't tell me anything. Then I'm going to the source."

"Are you going back to Middle Earth?" Sean frowned.

"I am, and so are you and Aaron."

"Don't give me that surprised look, moron. I'm not leaving you either. When this is over, I'm not planning on staying in Middle Earth. If their world exists imagine what other worlds are out there."

"Where were you planning on going?"

"I don't know, but you're welcome to come, if you'd like."

"Well I'll tell you this, my life wouldn't be nearly as exciting without you. So you can count me in."

* * *

Chris ate after talking with Sean. She didn't really want to eat, but did to keep up appearances of being fine. Sean suspects that she's more than likely bullshitting, but won't say anything especially in front of the others.

When she finished eating she excused herself and went to her lab, claiming she needed to make some gadgets that could help in Middle Earth. Not exactly a lie. Really she needs to make her tablets solar powered along with Skittles and Dumdum. They have a charging station, but there will be none in Middle Earth.

She immediately got to work. She already had the blue prints to creating the tablet, with a few terabytes more than an Apple IPad, without a problem. Chris is a genius and Apple can kiss her ass. She makes her own gadgets and refuses to share most of her toys with Omega. She leaves a few blueprints for agents who definitely do not snoop in her Omega paid-for apartment. It's usually to help the agents, but the things that those engineers make are cheap and not as good as Chris' toys.

"LOKI, how's my father doing?" There was no response and Chris asked again.

"A missing person's report was filed two days ago by Ricardo Ortiz. I have been looking into the reports and I have been checking security cameras at the US-Mexican border. There is no sign of him."

Chris immediately stood up and looked at LOKI, hands clenched in a tight fists.

"Where was he taken?" She asked tightly.

"His house shows signs of a struggle, also…" LOKI hesitated, but Chris knew exactly what he was going to say.

"What else." Chris demanded.

"His son, Eric was also taken. I'm sorry." Chris couldn't think after that. She was dropped to the floor clenching her chest trying to control her breathing and the pounding of her heart. _No no no no no_. The mantra repeated. She had to get to Brownsville. She had to go now.

"There is something else that I believe you should know."

"What it is?" Chris panted.

"Blood was found in the scene, it has not been analyzed yet, but the crime scene investigator on scene noticed it. The investigator originally thought it to be motor oil, but when mixed with a solution it was identified as blood."

"Orcs." Chris said darkly. How the fuck was this possible? Was that what happened to JJ and Nina, were they attacked too? Did they escape? Chris needs to get back to Middle Earth.

"LOKI give me a cast list of the Lord of the Rings along with a profile picture." After looking at how long the list was, Chris narrowed her search.

"Okay give me the villains only. Wait hold it there." Chris' eyes narrowed at a name. _Could it be?_

"Give me the previous films of Brad Dourif." LOKI complied.

"Son of a bitch!" There it was. Chucky the killer doll. Grima Wormtongue. Both played by the same actor; that was the connection. Chris couldn't help but smile. _Clever bastard._ That made her immediately feel depressed again. _Danny's…no! I can't afford to do this. I can't. Not yet. He needs me first._

Setting all other thoughts aside. Chris immediately went back to work on the tablet. She had LOKI start playing music from the years that she missed. LOKI played songs from bands she would most likely listen to; she'll listen to pretty much anything, except for country, she has an unnatural aversion to country for some reason, but there are some artists that she genuinely like.

Five hours later Chris finished the tablet and it worked like a charm. Bill Gates can suck it! ("Bill Gates is dead, Chris" "Still not taking it back, LOKI"). Chris went to work on creating a solar panel that could be folded up for the bot's convenience. If she had a week, she would have created an entirely new body that could run on solar energy, but it was too time consuming and the bots never go outside. So the collapsible solar panel would have to do.

Chris focused on her work and let the hours roll by and during those hours she forgot her problems and her concerns. For those hours, she was normal.

* * *

**A/N**

**For the record, there are liquid solutions that crime scene investigators use to identify suspicious stains as blood. Anyways review please.**


	6. Relationships are Confusing

**Apologies folks. School started and I had to start reading. I will still update regularly on Friday or Saturday. So here's an extra-long chapter in response to a late chapter. Also, I'm writing short stories on Chris and Danny's missions and life in Omega. I have one story done and a lot of one-shots along with it. It's entirely OCs centric. The stories aren't really original, just a rewrite of spy movies like mission impossible or some films that I thought could be turned into a spy film and was funny too, like Bad Teacher (don't know how I managed that one). Anyways I don't know when or if I'm going to post them, but if your interested in reading them then let me know. I'll see if I can post something, probably in misc. since it's not exactly original, but I don't exactly use the character of those films.**

**Chapter 6: Relationships are Confusing**

_The chemicals between us _

_The walls that lie between us_

_Lying in this bed _

_The chemicals displaced _

_There is no lonelier place _

_Than lying in this bed_- The Chemicals between Us, Bush

* * *

"Why can't we go on a plane?" Sean whined. He really didn't want to travel three days in van, a very spacious van that was really a small bus and can fit 20 people, but still a van.

"Do you really want to subject them to the technically-it's-not-rape-since-there's-no-penetration TSA?" Okay he sees her point but really, they deserved it (really 3 out of the 11 there, but still, collateral damage).

"The groping isn't that bad?" Yes it is and it's worse when you're attractive. Chris knows this too.

"They'll be held the moment they freak out, especially when they start checking Galadriel. We don't need the attention." Dammit, she's right.

"What about Aaron?"

"I haven't heard from him. I tried reaching him, but he hasn't picked up, LOKI said he's somewhere in southern Ireland. You?" That's weird, he talked to Aaron last night when he got the clothing and stuff packed for tomorrow's trip.

"I'll call him." Sean went left to his quarters and pulled out his personal phone, one that Omega has no clue about and cannot hack. Aaron picked up on the second ring.

"Sean, what's up?"

"Why are you avoiding Chris?" Sean immediately jumped in. He learned a long time ago not to beat around the bush.

"I'm no-,"

"Yes you are. Why?"

"I just… I need some time to myself. You know? Clear out my head."

Sean didn't understand. Since the disappearance Aaron has been more reclusive. He desperately wants to know what it was that was eating away at him, but he knew he had no right, not anymore at least.

"Aaron, I know things haven't been the same since…well they just haven't been the same, but I want you to know that you can still talk to me. I'll help you anyway I can. You can trust me you know?"

"I know, but trust me. This isn't something that you can help me with. Chris texted that you'll be in Brownsville in three days. I'll be there. Also, just so you know, the higher ups know that you're gone. They want me to look for you."

"What you do?"

"I got off the plane in London, and got rid of all my clothes and kept the personal phone. I'll be state side in two days and drive to Brownsville. Why does she want to go there?"

"Answers." Sean said simply, he can't say more than that without sounding completely insane.

"You are going to explain everything once I get there right?"

"Chris will if you'll speak to her." Sean answered.

"I'm kinda scared what she'll do when I see her?"

"Aaron, what's going on?" Sean was getting worried again. What is Aaron not saying?

"I'll explain, it's just…can I ask you something?" Aaron hesitated before completely jumping onto another subject.

"You already did."

"Smartass. If we got another chance, would you-,"

"Yes." Sean interrupted without hesitation.

"Really?" Aaron asked hopefully.

"Yes, just…just promise me you'll tell me what's going on."

"I will. See you in three days." Aaron hung up.

* * *

Sean left to call Aaron and Chris knew he would answer his call. Aaron always had a soft spot for Sean. He couldn't ignore him even if his life depended on it. That was a good thing. Sean kept Aaron grounded. Despite the evidence, Sean is not a delicate little flower that needs protection. His size and health made others believe that and saw his attempts at physical confrontations as a Chihuahua picking a fight against a pit bull. You just don't see it ending in the Chihuahua's favor. Chris saw this, Aaron saw this as well. Sure Aaron still made fun of him for it, but when he realized he genuinely liked the guy (his self-realization came in the form of Nina asking when he was going to ask him on a date, an actual date not a one-night stand).

There was no problem with chemistry. It was always there, it's just that they're both idiots when it came to love, or more accurately scared shitless when they're actually in an adult relationship. Aaron she gets when he's being an idiot. Sean caught her completely off guard. True what happened with her and Gabriel was their worst nightmare playing out before their eyes and led to their break up, because they were afraid of the fall out, but come on! While it seems like a good idea after watching it happening. It's a fucking horrible idea from the perspective of someone who actually went through it.

But Chris can only lead to the dumb fucking horse to water; she has to wait for the idiot mammal to dehydrate before she can convince it to drink the damn water. Translation: While she's telling them that a relationship is so worth the potential fallout (their relationship; Legolas and her totally different circumstances!), she's really waiting for the sexual tension and repression to make them both cave and fuck like the repressed, sexually frustrated monkeys they are and then renew their romance.

Chris has already packed everything. She transferred LOKI's entire entity into a portable hard with a 500 PB memory. The highest memory available on the market is a 120 petabyte hard drive, but Chris created this weeks before she left. She didn't know why she would need it at the time, but she felt she would need it. She learned a long time ago to trust her instincts. She's beginning to suspect it's more than likely her third eye ability than instinct, but it's the same thing isn't it. In a manner of speaking, precognition is an integral part of her, isn't it, so it is, in a sense, instinct. Or she's just making excuses for those times her feelings turned out to be because of her extra abilities and not actually her. Who knew having powers would give a girl self-esteem issues for the more uncommon reasons.

Now LOKI, his entire body is on this small notebook sized portable hard drive. She can still talk to him; she installed a sub program of him in her tablet along with her entire film, music and picture collections. Chris may be a spy and taking pictures is a huge no-no, but she uses pictures to immortalize her friends, to prove that they did in fact exist. Join Omega, and you're a ghost. They take everything away from you till all you have left is a memory of a life that you begin to question. You start wondering if your family and friends were real or just a figment of your imagination. And since most people in Omega come from unsavory childhoods (and really who would join such an organization if you weren't already fucked in the head?), they actually start believing that they are efficient and ruthless people.

For Chris and the others it was the pictures that kept them sane. It constantly reminded them that they were human and they can feel. Sure they laugh at the darker things in life (much too dark and satirical for even the English to laugh at), but hey they actually crack a smile in this sanctuary that Chris and Danny created. Now she needed to go to the others rooms and get their sentimental items packed. Sean already has his and Aaron's things packed, but she'll handle Nina, JJ's things.

Chris moved to leave her office when she saw someone at the exit. It was Legolas. Chris was at a loss at what to do. She kind of feels guilty for practically spilling everything to everyone. She doesn't know how the others reacted when they found out, she could have asked LOKI to bring up surveillance on their reaction, but decided against it. She's too fragile to look at criticism aimed at her.

Then there's the fact that she's going to spend the next three days with him, sure the rest of the fellowship will be there, but still. She still cares for him and she's regretful for practically spilling everything in front of the others. It'll be awkward for the next three days. Well awkward for him.

Chris can act like a professional and she's perfectly okay with…

She's fine with…

She doesn't mind that…

Shit happens and you move on. That includes spending time with an ex (does it count as a relationship if you technically didn't do anything?) and act like a civilized adult.

"Chris, I was hoping to speak with you." Legolas asked hopefully. _Always an eager puppy_, Chris thought. She has never been one to say no to a kicked puppy, it's why she doesn't own pets, so as much she wished to avoid Legolas like the plague, she couldn't.

"Sure, I need to pack a few items for the others. You're welcome to come with me."

* * *

Chris went to Nina's room first and went to the walk-in closet (the reason Nina called dibs on it in the first place). Chris went to the very back where the evening gowns were and spread them to the far side revealing the wall. Chris placed her hand in the center and waited. A small square of the wall slid up and revealed a thumb print scanner. Only Nina or Chris prints could unlock it. Scan cleared, an outline of the wall popped out. Legolas watched in amazement as Chris took out a wooden lock box with the same thumb print scanner there. Chris didn't open it.

"Did you build this?" He asked and figured this was the safest way to start.

"Yes. I bought this building a year after I joined Omega and had saved up enough money to buy it. Omega provides apartments and living expenses, but the apartments are bugged and the money is not enough, at least not for me. I got the money through, well let's just say it, I stole the money, but they were all bad people and it's easy when you're a pro with a computer and learned to hack the DOD at 22.

"It took me six months to remodel all four floors of it. It used to house a small business before the business went under. The first floor is basically the living/dining room/kitchen, the second floor is gym with showers and a changing area, the third and fourth floors are living quarters.

"When I decided to give LOKI more independence. I decided to put him in charge of the entire building. It was slow work. I had to take baby steps or else LOKI would malfunction for doing too much too fast. I installed cameras to see and put up speakers to speak. Then I put him in charge of the doors, then the elevators, then made everything Wi-Fi and blue tooth accessible, which is every electronic gadget in this house. When I gave Dumdum the his own artificial intelligence it would have been a failure if LOKI wasn't there to show him the ropes. Dumdum is less sophisticated and he has the emotional maturity of a child compared LOKI. LOKI being able to communicate with him was something that helped them both in the end.

"When Skittles came on they created a type of hive mind, with LOKI as the big brother telling the others what to do. They're all independent of each other with their own separate functions, but they are constantly communicating and working together."

Chris was explaining while she was looking at the wooden box, debating if she should open it, but deciding against it and moving on to another room across the hall.

"What is in it?" Legolas asked.

"It's Nina's most precious items, things she hasn't shared with anyone. Not even Danny who was her teacher and the one she trusts the most."

"She and your brother were they…" Legolas trailed off, unsure how to put it in the least offensive manner. She already knew what he was saying.

"Briefly. Now they're just very close friends. This life, it's difficult to find any stable relationship. You take your comforts whenever you can with whoever you can. Most of the time it's with your friends, since you trust them the most." Chris explained not looking at him and Legolas didn't know how to feel about that. The thought of her with anyone else, even another woman or that other man Sean. He felt a possessive anger flowing through him and he fought to contain it. Who was he to feel like this? He ruined the chance to be with her and yet he still hoped.

"Did you…?" Again he didn't know how to say it, but Chris still understood what he was trying to say. Was she always able to read minds?

"Me and Nina? No, she's attractive, no doubt about that, but we're more like friendly rivals and never went beyond that. She's a good friend, but that's all."

"What about with the others?" This made Chris pause and look at him, face cool, dark eyes betraying nothing.

"Why the sudden interest in my love life?"

"I know it's not any of my business."

"No, it's not."

"It's just that… I'm not going about this the right way, am I?"

"Why don't you start with what you wanted to say." Chris said moving onto JJ's bathroom and pulling out a lock box from behind the mirror, following the same procedure. She started moving on to Danny's room.

"I wanted to apologize." Chris said nothing, but study him. Legolas did not know how much time had passed before she gave him a nod.

"Okay." Does that mean she's forgiven him?

"I know how I acted was deplorable and I'm sorry for what I've done, or did not do rather. I was grieving and angry and while I know that it does not excuse me for my inaction, I still want to apologize. I did not think about your loss and selfishly only thought of myself." Legolas truly felt guilty for what happened and after the stern lecture (shouting session) Sean gave everyone with the exception of Lord and Lady of Lothlórien along with Haldir (he spoke civilly to them and the hobbits were with Chris) they all just felt worse. Sean knew what happened but allowed them to speak of their version of events, but once they were done speaking, Sean viciously and systematically tore down each and every logical reason to distrust Chris. It left them feeling like naughty children. Especially Boromir, when he realized he was being manipulated by the Ring. Chris knew and ensured the object of Boromir's aggression and hatred be turned towards her to protect the others.

When she came to the following evening, the air around him was tense. Everyone was unsure how to react to her presence. They wanted to apologize, but not make a spectacle of it. Gimli was the one who tried to break the awkward tension by trying to act normal. Chris immediately knew something was off. Then when Sean said that Chris doesn't fight for things she feels are not worth fighting for, that just added to their guilt. They were explained that Chris has problems with self-worth, and Legolas saw a glimpse of it when he was trying convincer her to give them a chance. Then he saw her casually dismiss Sean's statement like it was nothing, she didn't even deny it.

Chris said nothing as he spoke, she didn't even spared a glance at him when Legolas further apologized. She just nodded to his words and continued her search. Legolas felt his ire rising. He was being completely brushed aside.

"Are you going to say nothing?"

"What is there to say. You apologized, I forgive you. That's it, end of discussion." Chris spoke looking behind a flat screen. The secret compartment held nothing, but a worn black teddy bear with a red bow tie. Chris handled the bear with great care and gentleness. Chris said nothing, but her treatment spoke volumes.

"What do you want from me?" Chris said eyes focused on the bear. Legolas knew what he wanted from her.

"I want to fix this. I want you to trust me again." Chris regarded him with sadness and apologetic eyes.

"Things broken can be fixed, in time. This relat-… friendship can be mended, but we can't go back to how it was. I'm sorry. I trust you with my life, Legolas, but there are other more precious things that I value more and allow few to care."

And Legolas understood what she was saying. He knew that she was not going to let him in. He knows that he loves her. He wants her to love him and it hurts when she cannot return his feelings. He finds that he cannot blame her for this. She told him from the beginning that this would not work. They were too different and it would be a matter of time they would split ways, but he felt it worth the risk. He still feels that way, but she doesn't and this incident only confirmed that she was right.

In reality, they were both to blame for this mess. Chris held on to her secrets, and Legolas did not completely trust her to reveal it. Then the incident at the mines only made things worse. He saw her as unaffected by the death of her brother. He thought she did not feel anything, when the reality was she was far too talented at masking her emotions. He didn't believe that she felt nothing, but her blank expression and cold eyes along with his own grief and anger made him blind and lashing out at the most convenient target. It was not just him, but the others as well.

The hobbits did not though. He didn't know if it was their innocence or their own stubbornness to cling to the idea that Chris was still their friend. He didn't know, but was glad for it, glad that they could support and protect her when she needed it most, not that she would ever admit it.

"You should go with the others." Chris said suddenly and Legolas realizes that they are standing outside Chris' room. Again, Legolas can't help but feel the pain of what she's saying. Chris trusts him with her life, but not her heart and what she has safely hidden inside her room is the secrets of her heart and he's not allowed.

"I'm sorry, Legolas, but you should go back with the others." Chris told him looking at him in remorse. She knows what he's thinking and she does not intend to hurt him.

"It's not your fault." Chris gives a weak laugh.

"Yes, it is. I should have known better, but I'm selfish and I hurt you when I knew this the most likely outcome. This isn't entirely your fault. I share a lot of the blame too. For that I'm sorry."

"I still wish…" Legolas trailed off.

"I know, but things never work out how we want them to. If you don't wish to speak to me again, I understand."

"What do you wish for?"

"What I want is irrelevant."

"It's relevant to me."

"I still care for you, maybe not in the way you want, but I still do. I want for you to be happy."

"That's not an answer. What is your selfish wish?"

"I want… I don't want you to look at me like you did when we came out of the mines. I want you to see me, not the witch, or the spy, but just me. I want to still be your friend." Chris spoke looking at the floor. When she looked up to Legolas' eyes he saw a reserved hopefulness in her eyes as well as a vulnerability. This was her trying to trust him. Legolas was not going to disappoint. At this point he'll gladly take anything she has to offer.

"I would not mind a friendship, on one condition."

Legolas spoke in a serious tone. Chris looked at him cautiously, but curiously.

"Never offer to spread your legs so others know you're actually a woman."

Chris only stared at him before she broke her resolve and started laughing hysterically. She finally looked up at Legolas wiping her eyes and looking at Legolas with relieved amusement. Legolas was glad to see that look on his face.

"Deal. You should tell the others to rest. We have a big day tomorrow and you're lucky it'll take us 3 days to travel 1,800 miles from DC to Brownsville." Legolas gaped at her, wondering if she was telling the truth or jesting.

"I'm not joking. You'll see how it works, but tomorrow. Tell the others to get some sleep."

Legolas nodded and turned away feeling lighter since he came to this world.

* * *

"I'm going to hell." Was the first thing Chris said when she entered her room. Sean was already there waiting for her. He helped her pack Nina and JJ's lock box, leaving the teddy bear for Chris to handle. He knew better than to take Danny's things from her now.

"What happened with the elf?" Sean asked angrily doing a mental checklist on items he'll need to make a body disappear.

"I told him we could be friends." Chris said miserably. _Sulfuric acid would just save me the time of digging a hole, however it'll take hours… wait, what! _Sean snapped his head up and looked at Chris confused.

"How is this a bad thing, exactly. You're fixing a bridge, right?" Chris just groaned.

"It's bad, because he loves me. I know he loves me and I just gave him a permanent spot to the friend zone. Oh my God! I'm like those evil bitches that friend zone great guys who love them, only I'm worse cuz I know he loves me. I'm going to hell." Chris says collapsing on the bed.

"C'mon I'm sure he doesn't still feel that way." Chris stared.

"He probably just likes you." Chris arched an eyebrow.

"Maybe he just wants to be your friend only." Chris glared, Sean caved.

"Alright fine. It was obvious to me, I was just trying to make you feel better. Happy?"

"No."

"You really like him?" Sean asked and Chris only stared at him.

"What makes you say that?" Sean rolled eyes.

"After Gabriel, you didn't just break down. You shut down. After him, it took you a while to sit through a romance film without walking out, because you have too much pride to actually cry. You couldn't listen to some music and commercials would make you change the channel. More than that, you became willfully dense when someone was interested in you. Seriously, we felt sad when we saw some guy hitting on you at a bar and not see you react. We thought it was because you were still mourning, but then we found out you were actually clueless to what was happening. So seeing you being able to tell when someone is interested in you. It's not only a big step. It's a huge one."

"Was I really that bad?" Chris asked frowning.

"At first, yeah, you were. But you got better, you were just really clueless when it came to love, at least for yourself. He's good for you, you know."

"I know and I probably could have loved him, but I don't trust him anymore. And this is unfair to him. He's still hopeful that I'll change my mind and I won't. It's just going to hurt him."

"You know you could just send them back and we go somewhere else right?"

"We can't. I have to go back."

"Why?"

"My father's missing and I suspect by Orcs."

"What!? How!?"

"I don't know, but if I can cross to another universe through magic then who's to say Saruman or Sauron can't."

"Is that what happened to JJ and Nina?" Sean asked.

"It's possible, but I'm not entirely sure." God this was sounding so insane.

"Are you afraid of me, Sean?" That caught him off guard.

"No." He answered honestly confused.

"Why." She asked confused by his response.

"Chris you took me in and treated me as a person and not like I was some inconvenient pet that you were forced to take care of. You didn't teach me to run away like others before you did. You taught me to fight back and Danny helped with my health problems and showed me how to make knock out gas and taught me how to shoot a gun. You and Danny and the others, you're not my friends. You're family. You stood by me and I'll stand by you. Did you really think, that you being a witch would change anything?"

"Where the fuck were you when I was sixteen?"

"Trying to get Gabriel from completely getting his ass handed to him in middle school." Sean deadpanned.

"Oh, yeah." Chris said getting up and looking in her closest finding the compartment and getting out her lock box. When she got it she went back to her bed and opened it. Sean did nothing just held her hand as she opened the box. Inside were three pictures, a choker and dog tags.

The dog tags were Gabriel's. He gave them to her six months after they started dating. It took him three more months to tell her he loved her, but she knew when she saw the tags.

The necklace was really a choker. It was simple black ribbon (really an indestructible fiber of Chris' creation) with a small, golden, rising dragon with ruby eyes. Gabriel gave them to her three weeks before he died.

The pictures were of the best moments she's experienced. One picture is of the entire gang in the living room playing a video game (Mario Party if she recalls correctly). The next photo is of her and Gabriel kissing it was Sean who took that photo. The third picture is of Chris holding a two week old boy. He was sleeping and Chris was smiling fondly, eyes shinning and bright.

The boy is Eric… Chris and Gabriel's son.


	7. The Truth is I Can't Say Literally

**Chapter 7: The Truth is I Can't Tell… Literally**

_Don't fight for the wrong side_

_Say what you feel like_

_Say how you feel-_ Twisted Logic, Coldplay

* * *

Ricardo Ortiz did not join the marines for altruistic purposes. He did not believe in fighting for the land of the free and the home of the brave. He believes in the words of Jackie Cogan "Don't make me laugh. I'm living in America, and in America you're on your own. America's not a country. It's just a business. Now fuckin' pay me."

Ricardo's parents were Mexican immigrants trying to make their way in the world, in America. The paradise country where everything would be better the moment you crossed that border. They couldn't be more wrong. Sure they came here legally and were one of the few immigrants that got a work visa, and then later got their citizenship. It was difficult and they worked hard for what they got, which wasn't very much. But really, things weren't any different, not to young Richie, born in the United States a year after his parent moved.

His parents struggled. His father worked in landscaping (gardener) and his mother was a cleaning lady. They didn't speak a word of English and constantly struggled in paying bills, putting food on the table. They claimed it was better than living in the slums of Monterrey, but Richie didn't see it that way. To him, they traded one slum for another only this slum claims that you can make it better by working hard and having a 'can-do' attitude. What a bunch of bullshit.

Richie learned two things: 1) while the world won't run without gardeners and cleaning ladies (someone has to do the jobs no one else will do) there is no fucking way in God's fucked up green earth he is going to do it; 2) the legal way is the least effective way, if you wanna make it out on top…cheat.

Richie went to school, he studied, he learned English, but he wasn't a model student. He got into a lot of fights. His parents tried to set him straight, but really what could they do? He didn't have a TV. Sure they could and did hit him, but what's a few slaps worth compared to the respect the other kids gave him the next day?

In middle school he joined a gang. It wasn't really anything big. It was just a bunch of kids doing stupid shit, vandalism and destruction of property. He got quite a reputation for it too, because he never got caught. The streets knew who he was, but no one ever talked about it. Not in the open and especially not to the police. There were consequences for talking to the police, even his parents knew that.

High school wasn't so bad. He moved onto bigger things, like the Gulf Cartel. He didn't even try to rise up in the ranks at the time. He was young, but he wasn't stupid. He bid his time. He waited and learned their tactics, their operations that included drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, bribery, and assassinations to name a few. He waited, he learned and he refused to mark his body with their ink. It was one of the reasons he was at the very bottom, the cartels don't trust those who refuse to wear their marks. Richie knows that the higher ups don't have any identifying tats either, but doesn't mention that.

After high school he immediately joins the marines. Again, it's not for the purpose of serving a country that he could care less about. He did it because he wanted the military training. He wanted the training that the military offered: hand-to-hand combat, firearms, tactical strategies. It was in the marines that he finally met face-to-face with Christian Tanaka Cortez.

His first impression was that she was short and did she really pass the height requirement. He told her as much, when they were assigned to the same infantry, she only smirked and walked away with Danny (he thought he was her boyfriend at the time). He immediately started hanging out with her and Danny after that first encounter.

He liked her more when they were shipped off to Afghanistan near the end of their four years. She saved his life several times, either by moving him just before a bullet came near him, or tackling him to get him away from an IED. Really the only reason he was walking home and not arriving in a body bag was because of her. He finished his tour and went home and that was when he started going up the cartels' ranks.

He met Marisol when Chris and Danny were in town two months later. She was nice, or at least seemed that way until some guy slapped her ass. She just turned and cold cocked him without any hesitation. The guy went down like a sack of potatoes. Chris and Danny watched with him and were impressed. Chris bought her a drink in congratulations. She accepted the drink.

Richie bought her a drink in an attempt to talk to her and pick her up. Marisol walked over to him poured the drink on his head (literally poured, not throw), gave him the finger and walked away (after Chris hugged her 'fellow sister' and got her number so they could hang out sometime while she was still in Brownsville). Danny was laughing at him and Chris was just waving her number.

For Richie, it was love at first sight. And he had no problem to resort to stalking (his subordinates stalked for him, but still). He had no trouble getting her address and number. From then he would find excuses to come to her home, in a totally non-threatening manner, and hang out.

They married a year and a half later. Richie found out about her abilities a week after their marriage. She was the one that told him. A witch, a wind-user and an empath. To say he was pissed would be an understatement, but he understood why she didn't tell him. She knew who he was and what he did. He promised her he wouldn't use her gifts in his line of work. He wanted to tell Chris, but Marisol was against it saying that she couldn't know. Richie didn't understand why not. Chris is scared of what she could do and it was an accident on her part that he even knew in the first place. The only reason he said nothing was because she saved his life, and he believed in squaring his debts, and because Marisol said that it wasn't time yet. Richie wasn't convinced but went with it anyways.

When he heard about Chris and Danny's death while in combat; he was saddened by the news. He went to the funeral; it was really burying items of theirs, since there were no bodies. Marisol said that it would be alright.

He heard that Hiro adopted an infant when he went on a trip around the country. The boy, Eric, was a few months old when he was adopted. The boy reminded Richie of Chris if she was ever born a male. He and Marisol would visit Eric every chance they could. He and Marisol loved that kid like he was their own.

Five days ago, Richie went to the police when he saw that someone broke into Hiro's house and kidnapped Hiro and his son. It was the first time Richie ever went to the police for help. He knows it wasn't his enemies. They weren't stupid enough to kidnap an outstanding citizen and his son on US soil (the feds are already on their asses, they don't need to give them an excuse to increase their anti-drug policies). This was something else but he doesn't know what. Marisol was worried.

Fifteen minutes ago, someone appeared on his doorstep, claiming to be an old marine friend and she wasn't alone. He told the guy to let her and her friends in when he said that she had a message for him.

"His goddess Athena is still alive."

He pulled his shot gun out and got ready for whatever he saw.

It all played out how Chris envisioned.

* * *

When Chris calmed down long enough to get up that was around the time Marisol walked through the front door. By then Chris had gained enough control over herself that the only sign that she even was crying was her red eyes.

"So you gonna tell me what happened?" Richie asked handing her a glass of coke (more like 30% coke and 70% rum).

"Why didn't you tell me Marisol was like me?" Chris asked before draining the glass.

"You didn't ask."

"And you didn't tell." Chris finished.

"I'm sorry Chris, but I was forbidden to tell you anything." Marisol spoke when she entered the room. She was immediately hit with emotions, but Chris were the strongest of all. Anger. Sadness. Grief. Betrayal. The emotions ran deep.

Richie immediately went to across the room to his wife, who was crying and shaking.

"I'm alright, it's just… it's so much pain." Marisol hugged Richie. She needed the physical contact. She needed the feelings of safety and comfort he was emitting.

"What can you do?" Chris said calmly and suddenly the pain was gone. The emotions she was emitting where no longer there. Marisol could still feel the emotions of the others in the room. One look at them screamed they're not from around here, even in casual clothing.

"How are you doing that?" Marisol asked in wonder after looking at Chris. Her eyes showed that she had been crying, but everything else was closed. Marisol tried to read her but couldn't. She was completely closed from her empathy.

"How are you hiding your emotions?"

"I'm not doing anything."

"You are. When I first saw you, I could not read your thoughts. I was only able to communicate with your mind." The blond woman in a white dress that reached her calves said. She was wearing a white sweater and sandals with her outfit.

"I'm a wind-user. I can…"

"You can read minds."

"No, I can read the emotions someone is feeling at the time. Some are easy to pick up, because they broadcast their emotions, others require that I focus on them."

"And you can't read my emotions." Chris asked.

"I could for a little bit before you shut me out. I can't read anything from you, not even if I concentrate."

Chris said nothing. Her attention was focused elsewhere.

"Why didn't you tell her what you could do?" A blond man asked. He was a few inches taller than Chris and was currently glaring dagger at her. She could feel his anger and distrust.

"I'm sorry who are you?"

"My name is Sean Olcan." That made her sneer.

"You're one to talk. Why haven't you told her what _you _could do?" He stopped glaring at her and his anger turned to confusion.

"What are you talking to about?" Chris looked up at Marisol then at Sean.

"He's a sorcerer. The Olcan family is a magical family, like the Cortez. He's one of us as well."

There was a long pause. No one said anything, least of all Sean who was having a mini panic attack. Chris grabbed his hand and told him to calm down. Marisol sensed nothing but panic coming from him, but it wasn't from being discovered, but from finding out a huge revelation.

"If it's true then he doesn't know about it. He was orphaned when he was two years old after his mother died and his father was never around. You on the other hand know exactly who you are. So start talking." Marisol felt the danger. It wasn't an emotion, but she was now oozing an aura that screamed dangerous and killer. Marisol knew not to do anything stupid.

"My last name isn't Sosa. My name is Marisol Cortez."

"You're my…?" Chris asked, voice betraying nothing.

"I am your aunt."

"Why didn't you tell me anything?"

"I am forbidden to say anything."

"By who?"

"I can't say."

"Can't say or won't say?"

"I literally can't say anything about the Cortez family."

"Why could speak about the Olcan?"

"I just can." Marisol said hoping that Chris would understand. This was her curse for leaving the Sanctuary. She is forbidden to speak about her family or what they could do. She could not warn Chris about the danger they posed.

"That day at the bar, when we first met, you were looking for me?" Marisol could only nod.

"Why?"

"I was told to come looking for you."

"By who?" Marisol tried to answer, but couldn't. She really did want to answer, but she was physically incapable to do it. She opened her mouth to answer but no sound came out.

"Alright, alright. What about how I got this way? Why can I do things, but he can't?"

"I'm sorry I can't answer that, but I suggest thinking about it. It's not that difficult if you think about it. And if you're thinking about going to El Salvador for answers I advise against it. It's… it will be dangerous."

"I know that, but I'm still going, even if I have to go alone." Chris said before she moved to leave. Marisol only sighed in defeat.

"Where're you going?" Sean asked.

"Father's house, I'm checking if there are any clues I could find as to who took him. Also, I have a feeling people are there waiting for me to come there."

"Do you need help?"

"No, I'll be fine." Marisol watched her go, her emotions were a mystery. It was comforting for Marisol, at first to be able to be with another person and not feel their emotions. Now, Marisol isn't so comforted by that fact. Marisol has no idea what Chris has been up to these past years when she and Richie thought Chris was dead. All she knows is that Chris is stronger than ever. She wonders how Chris is still alive. All that pain she is in, the fires of her power should have consumed and killed her.

"So who are you guys?" Richie asked.

"Four elves, four hobbits, two men and a dwarf from Middle Earth." Sean deadpanned.

Marisol could only groan. She's even more reckless than her older sister Maria.

* * *

**A/N: Ah yes, answering questions without actually answering. Next chapter, Aaron finally makes an appearance and more revelations. I do love putting Chris through so much. Am I going to hell for putting a fictional character through a lot of suffering?**


	8. What We Do For A Living

**I'm sorry. I was intending to post last week, but I had a Quinceañera to attend to. But hey here's the next chapter. Plus I'm more than likely going to post again on Sunday, so yay! **

**Chapter 8: What We Do For A Living**

_This time I'm 'a let it all come out  
This time I'm 'a stand up and shout  
I'm 'a do things my way  
It's my way  
My way, or the highway_- My Way, Limp Bizkit

It was evening and the sun was going down when Chris reached her father's house. She didn't take the van and borrowed (hotwired) one of Richie's cars, Chris is positive he wouldn't mind… too much. The house was a small two story house sitting in the middle of five acres of private property; Hiro likes his property and bought the property when he adopted Chris and Danny. It also helped that Chris has somewhere she could go without worry of being found out should she lose control.

Climbing up the porch, Chris removed the police yellow tape from the door before she used the key from the false rock behind the bushes in the front. Chris didn't know what to expect, much less feel, when she entered the house. She only lived there for about three years, but it was still home for her.

Passing the threshold, Chris looked around and saw a mess in the living room. The plasma was broken the furniture was overturned or moved. There were clear signs of a struggle. Chris moved onto the house and went to the second floor and into her father's bedroom. Hiro had two laptops. One of them was in the office downstairs the other was in his bedroom under the floorboards. The police only took the one in the office, they didn't know about the other one, or the fact that it has video of cameras hidden all around the house.

Chris needs to move quickly. She's not alone anymore. There are others here, outside. She can hear their footsteps. Chris grabs the laptop, turning it on. She calls Sean next.

"Sean. I have a laptop here with me. I left the tablet there with you. Get LOKI to help you hack this and get all the information you can out of it."

"What's going on?" Sean asked worriedly in the other end.

"I told you. People were expecting me to come. Don't worry I'll be fine, just do what I ask. Please." Chris added in the end, before hanging up. Chris checked her pocket and took out a small metallic sphere along with ammo to a 9mm. She needed to be quick. She closed the laptop, now on standby, but the Wi-Fi was on and that was all LOKI needed, or Sean for that matter.

"LOKI, there's a CPU that needs hacking, mind helping me out?" Sean said grabbing Chris's backpack and grabbing the tablet.

"Which one?" LOKI asked.

"Don't know just that it's in Hiro's house." Sean replied grabbing his own laptop and connecting it to the tablet.

"Got it. It'll take a few minutes, but I'm sure I can cut it down to less than three."

"What the hell is that?" Richie asked looking for the sound of the second voice Sean was talking to.

"This is LOKI. An artificial intelligence that Chris made, speaking of which, Skittles and Dumdum should be done recharging right now. Can you go get them out of the van?" Sean asked Pippin and Merry, since the bots only allowed the hobbits close proximity.

"Sean, I found the laptop Hiro keeps in his room. It's mainly storage for video and audio files from around the house. I can't download the files onto the tablet, but I can download it onto your laptop." LOKI said.

"Are you telling me Chris built Skynet? Are you fucking kidding me?" Richie asked absolutely perplexed.

"The cameras around the house, are they still streaming live?" Sean continued as if no one had spoken.

"It is. Want me to upload the footage?" LOKI asked.

"Stand by," Sean turned to Richie, "Refer to him as Skynet again, LOKI will take it personally and electronically destroy your life via tapped out bank accounts and every law enforcement agency getting your phone number on speed dial, along with directions to your house, safe houses and drug/ illegal immigrant houses. Secondly, is that Sony flat screen Wi-Fi ready?"

Richie stared at the small blond in agitation. He wasn't sure if the threat was real. That tablet can't really do that… right? Then again, he never expected his wife and niece could do what they could do, so this LOKI probably could do it. Brave new world; go figure.

"I always buy the latest thing in technology." Richie replied evenly.

"Consumer technology is years behind what we're working with." Sean replied before typing away at his laptop and hacking Richie's firewalls. Richie looked on with growing ire. Sean was hacking his system without any problems. His firewalls were being blasted down by some unknown midget. Those firewalls couldn't be hacked by the police or even the fucking Feds, but this guy was doing it like it was nothing.

"Don't be surprised all the great hackers work for the branches of government that could care less about small time crooks such as yourself." Sean said without looking up. He didn't have to; he could feel the two holes burning in the back of his head.

"What's going on?" Merry asked when he came in, Pippin and the bots following behind them.

"Look at that TV over there and you'll see what Chris is doing at the house." LOKI replied. Moments later the TV came to life with video of Chris using her phone. Seconds later Sean's phone rang.

"Talk to me," Sean said once he picked up. Chris was carrying the laptop and going to the kitchen.

"Do you have the files downloaded already?"

"Yeah." Chris hung up and took the CPU out of the laptop and put it in the microwave and turned it on. She then grabbed a pan, turned on the stove and dropped bullets on the pan. She rushed to the basement.

"LOKI, split screen, show me outside of the perimeter." LOKI did as told. It was dark outside the house and no one can see what was out there. On the other side of the screen, Chris was in the basement, a small device in one hand. Something caught her attention and now she was staring at the floor. Chris crouched down and placed her hand on the floor. She moved to the middle of the floor before raising her hand and the floor cracked and a black duffle bag was emerging from the floor.

Bullets left on the stove finally popped and were ricocheting around the kitchen. Not too soon after a total of five men covered in black emerged from the dark. They were carrying machine guns and started firing at the house.

"Fuck!" Richie yelled, "We have to help her!" He was making his way to the door, shotgun in hand when the bots got in his way.

"You're not going anywhere. You'll just get in the way. Trust me; this is what we do for a living." Sean said calmly, but there was an edge to his voice. He was concerned as well. On screen, Chris started moving up the basement once the firing was done.

Moving silently and efficiently, the others watched as Chris unknowingly showed the others just how deadly she was.

The group watched in horrid fascination, as Chris went into the kitchen first since that was the only exit from the basement. Two out of the five men were inside; the door was slightly ajar and Chris threw the device through the small opening. While in mid-air, the weapons on the men flew off the men's grips and went towards the device.

"What is that?" Gimli inquired.

"That, my friends, is a very strong magnet. The magnet will pull all metal, even stainless steel utensils." Sean smirked. "A very useful invention of Chris."

Chris burst through door. The man closest to the door had his back to Chris when his gun went flying out of his hands. Chris jumped his back and broke his neck. The second man went for his gun which was in a small pile on the floor near the fridge. What he didn't know was that the magnet was still active for another fifteen seconds. Chris kicked the guns out towards the living room. Chris kneed his hunched over position and aimed for his face. The man saw it coming and blocked with his wrists. Chris twirled, crouched and swiped her leg. She raised her left leg and slammed it down on the man's head. Either he was dead or unconscious, Aragorn was not sure.

Looking at the living room, through a window, Chris jumped feet first through the small opening and locked her thighs astride the man's head before swinging her body with the man was sent slamming into another. The small guns were near her and Chris went towards two hand guns there. The magnet was no longer working. Chris shot the man on the floor, two shots in the head. Another came at her from behind and Chris, kicked the guns away towards the kitchen and quickly flipped him and jammed her gun in his mouth before taking aim at the other coming from her left.

"What is it you do for a living?" Marisol asked eyes never leaving the screen.

"You're a smart woman. I'm sure you could figure it out." Sean replied cynically. He was still upset.

Aragorn looked at Legolas noticing his expression. He was horrified at what he saw, but he saw an underlying glint of amazement at her movements. Chris moved with the grace and precision of a dancer, but struck with the intensity of warrior. It was, if Aragorn was completely honest, beautiful.

_Legolas truly knows how to pick them, _Aragorn thought mirthlessly.

"Just out of curiosity, would you mind taking off the ski mask or is that too much to ask? I promise I won't shoot." Chris said, but still hadn't lowered the gun

"And why would I do a stupid thing like that?" The man growled insulted at her suggestion.

"I wanted to look at your face," Chris shrugged.

"I was in Omega for a year before you disappeared."

"Someone I know?" Chris asked.

"Wilson, we've seen each other only three times in passing. I highly doubt you would remember me." The man, Wilson, spoke removing the mask and revealing a young white man with light brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Sorry, I probably would have known who you were if I stayed longer since you're still alive." Chris replied happily. Her posture and expression was relaxed, as if she was talking with a good friend.

"Isn't this the part where you start shooting me?"

"Normally yes, but there's still things I want to get clear. Like what the hell you're doing at my father's house?" Her tone going dangerously calm.

"I figured you would know that. We were hoping to find you. It seems we were right." Wilson spoke with a dark glint in his eyes.

"Eh, it seems you were." Chris said nonchalantly.

"So have you ever visited him?"

"Father? No, even I'm not stupid enough to put him at risk like that."

"Your father, no, I was talking about your son, little Eric." Now Wilson was smiling, all teeth and absolutely predatory.

Aragorn was floored by the information and apparently so was the rest of the people in this room. He heard the others gasp at the revelation. The only one whom seemed to have a different reaction was Sean who muttered a silent 'shit.'

"I knew it!" Marisol yelled, "I knew it! I knew it! I fucking knew it! There was no fucking way that Hiro adopting a kid that looks way too much like Chris to be a fucking coincidence!"

"There seems to be another person approaching the house." LOKI spoke.

A man with short brown hair was seen climbing the steps and Sean breathes a sigh of relief as the man enters the house.

"Who is he?" Legolas asks.

"He is a friend, Aaron." Sean replies in relief and fondness.

On the screen any friendly pretense Chris presented is gone now. It doesn't seem obvious, but Aragorn can see it. The minute tensing of her shoulders, her back straighter than before. The friendly gesture is still there but her eyes are hard, signaling Wilson to choose his next words very carefully. In the kitchen, the man Aragorn debated his demise was rising and moved to retrieve a gun. He picked the larger semi-automatic.

"For the record, I'll kill them before you shoot me." Chris said not turning around, eyes trained solely on the man in front of her.

"I'm curious, now. Who's the father?" Wilson asked, "It can't be some random guy. No, you're much more high class than that. It was definitely someone in the organization. Aaron had Sean, Nina was with JJ. Oh, is it Daniel? Are the rumors true?" Wilson was almost giddy with excitement, but his eyes were tight and alert.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Chris retorted.

"I already know. I was just hoping you would rise to the bait, but it appears nothing fazes seasoned veterans such as yourself. It really is such a shame. I was hoping to play with you, but the higher ups want you alive."

"Sorry, but I'm not going anywhere, with you at least."

"You don't have a choice." The man behind Chris spoke.

"Not really." A new voice spoke. Then everyone saw as the gun the assailant was holding was thrust away from him by an invisible force. All three of the men were lifted and shoved into a wall. Aragorn thought that this was Chris' doing but the look on her face showed nothing but shock.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Wilson bellowed, pressed up against the wall, his feet dangling a few inches above the floor. Chris immediately reacted and shot the three remaining men in the head.

With that done she turned to Aaron. Aaron who was looking sheepish and very frightened for his life.

"You're like me?" Chris asked in that same deadly calm.

"Yes, but…"

"YOU'RE LIKE ME!?" Chris yelled this time, raising one gun and pointed it at Aaron.

"Wait!" Aaron pleaded, "I know that you don't have any reason to trust me, but you have to give me a chance to speak here!"

"Why?" Chris asked tightly, hand trembling slightly when moments before, her hand was cool and still while pointed at Wilson.

"I couldn't tell you, I was kind of on a magical gag order and those things are really binding." Aaron tried to joke.

"And now you're not?"

"No, I went to an old family member who could lift it. It was dangerous for both of us. It requires a lot of magic and a very intimate understanding of it in order to lift it." Chris was debating an internal argument and after a long pregnant pause she spoke.

"You'll explain everything."

"Everything that I know." Aaron promised, hands raised in a signal of 'Don't shoot! I'm unarmed."

"Wait here." Chris said before going to the basement, retrieving the duffle bag and coming back up. She gave Aaron a once over before pistol whipping him hard across the face.

"For not telling me anything, you fucking asshole!" She yelled at the end. Aaron, wobbled back to his feet hand holding his face where he was hit. He wasn't mad about his strike. If anything he seemed relieved. Aragorn assumes that Aaron was not expecting to walk away relatively unharmed or alive.

"Richie, do you mind if I borrow your shotgun?" Sean asked innocently. Everyone was staring at the small blond in growing trepidation.

"While you're at it, go get a bag of skittles for Skittles." The bot in question only gave a chirp of agreement.

Perhaps Aaron is not entirely out of a life threatening situation. He still has to contend with Chris' allies.


	9. Explanations and Revelations

**I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but I couldn't stall anymore. Still expect an update on the weekend. ****Dialogue heavy chapter.**

**Author's Warning: This chapter will have religious undertones. Please keep in mind that this is fan fiction and not to be taken seriously and do not reflect my beliefs.**

**Chapter 9: Explanations and Revelations**

_Come on you target for faraway laughter,  
come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!  
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.  
Shine on you crazy diamond._ - Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Kendra Morris

* * *

Aaron's on thin ice. He knows it. He's not going to deny it and he's absolutely scared shitless, because right now, Chris is quiet. Aaron arrived at the house via taxi. He didn't want to leave a trail with a rental car. So he was sitting in the seat beside Chris, she was driving. He's also half expecting her to ram them into a tree.

If it was anyone else, Aaron wouldn't be worried. He's seen gone-off-the-reservation angry; he's even seen nuclear reactor meltdown pissed. No this was Chris, who doesn't get enraged. Mad, upset, sure he's seen that side of her. What he hasn't seen until now was dying-star-about-to-go-supernova-run-fast-run-far.

Aaron doesn't want to look up and see her expression. He knows that she's extremely enraged and debating whether to kill him or not. He didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did and that's just his best friend. He can't imagine what he's going to tell Sean.

And fuck he really shouldn't have gone there, because now he can imagine all the worst case scenarios going on through his mind at the thought of facing the fiery blond.

"Did Sean know?" Chris says out of nowhere.

"No, he didn't know anything." Aaron said in a desperate tone. Sean knew nothing of this and he won't allow him to suffer from Chris' wrath.

They didn't speak until they arrived back at a house.

"Where are we?"

"Richie's home."

"The one that works for the drug cartel," he asks and Chris only nods, "how do you meet people like these?" She gave him a quick glance before responding.

"I'm beginning to suspect poor life choices."

* * *

"You asshole!" Sean screamed when Aaron stepped through the door, before he went to knock him with a clean left hook. That prick Richie wouldn't even give him a knife.

Aaron didn't move to defend himself. He just stood there, his hands in his pocket and fought his instinct to defend himself. Sean wanted to hate him even more. _Wanted _being the operative word.

It was Chris who caught his fleeing left hook with her right hand and twirled him. His back was plastered to her front with his left arm held across his chest with one arm and her left arm wrapped around his waist and pinning his right arm to his side.

"As much as I would love to see you kick his ass, he still has a lot of explaining to do." Chris tried to calm him down, but Sean is kind of beyond reason right now. He doesn't have an iron grip on his emotions like Chris. Sue him.

"Alright! Alright! Let me go already." Sean tried struggling out of Chris' grip. She didn't let go until he stopped struggling.

"Now that you're calm, how do you know what happened over there." Chris inquired.

"The cameras were still streaming live. We saw everything." The blond said.

"Everything as in…" Chris trailed off.

"Everything." He said simply. They walked into the living room and saw the rest of the fellowship each with varying degrees of emotions etched on their faces. Some was respect (Galadriel and Celeborn) to betrayal and sadness (mainly Legolas). Chris noticed Legolas first.

"Fuck." Chris pinches the bridge of her nose. "Okay, Aaron I'm going to start asking some questions please answer them truthfully. And keep in mind I know when you're lying. Why don't you sit over there, m'kay?" Chris pointed to a chair in front of small decorative table in the middle of the room. Aaron went to the chair and Chris sat in front of him in the table.

"Let's start this off easy. What's your name?"

"Aaron Byrne."

"That's the name you were born with?"

"Yes."

"How old are you?"

"I was born November 4, 1898." Sean and Richie were the only ones who seemed shocked by the answer. The others didn't know what that information meant and Marisol was apathetic to the answer. If Chris was surprised, she didn't show it. Damn her iron control.

"If you're really 105 years old, how come you look like you're still in your 20s?"

"People with magic don't age after 25. We're not entirely immortal; our lives are determined by the amount of magic we have stored in us."

"Do you have the same mark as me?" Chris asked showing her right wrist with the dragon's head on it. Aaron only showed his wrist. His was different, instead of a dragon; there was a raven with the leaf in the bottom left corner of the raven.

"Why is it different?"

"The Byrne family worship ravens not dragons. The more powerful families still have a patron animal that represents them, for the Byrne it's the raven. For the Cortez, the dragon."

"Did you know that Sean is like us?"

"I knew. I could sense the magic in others. Everyone has a little of it, but people like us have higher amounts than normal. I know Sean is like us but he never went through the process to release it. The patron animal for the Olcan family is the wolf."

"How do you, uh, release it, I guess?"

"Death." Aaron said simply. The room went quieter than usual.

"What do you mean death?" Chris asked carefully neutral.

"I mean you literally have to die. Your heart needs to stop. No blood pumping. No breathing. No signs of life. You have to die, cross over into the In-Between, a kind of land where the dead are not quite dead, but you're not alive either. You need to go there and come back. It is not an experience you're likely to forget."

"I can't really remember that time." Chris says confused.

"I wouldn't expect you to. For most castors, they willing chose to go through the process, but there are some who were forcibly put through it and violent cases such as yours are extremely rare and dangerous. You're lucky to be alive."

The others want to ask what happened, but know better, even Pippin who's the hobbit with the least tact. Sean knows but that was because he hacked her and Danny's files. Chris hasn't told them about it and Sean wonders how Aaron knows.

"How do you know what happened?" Chris asked.

"I hacked your files." Aaron shrugs, "I was curious why you didn't use your magic on missions and I figured you didn't know what happened to you since you where orphaned at a young age."

Chris nodded at the answer and drops it. She knows that Aaron won't say anything about her past and he never treated her any differently with the information, but her eyes promises retribution for this offense.

"What about JJ and Nina? Do you know what happened to them?" Sean asked this time. He suspected that Aaron knew something, but he has to know for sure.

"I know that they were attacked by castors like us. I don't know where they went after that."

"Castors?"

"There are different names for people with magical abilities: witch, wizard, magician, spell castors, castors, magi, warlock. I just prefer to call them castors."

"Do you know who?"

"No, there are a lot of people who want to attack us. Especially our group, because we all come from different families."

"Why did you join Omega? It seemed like you were doing fine on your own. Why join a government organization of highly trained assassins?" And wasn't that the million dollar question.

"I knew that I was supposed to meet you and Danny. We were all supposed to meet."

"Who told you that?" Sean asked again.

"In our family fire wielders are a rarity and highly valued. The one we have made a prediction. He said that I was supposed to meet with five others from different families, all broken and cast out of their homes. He said that I would know I met them when the leader of the group killed me. He said that in the end we would leave this world and start a new life in another."

"What do you mean when the leader killed you?" Aaron cocked an eyebrow, in a how-can-you-seriously-not-remember. Then Chris remembered.

"Oh. Oh! _Oh_! Come on! That, that… that doesn't count! You were only dead for about a minute!"

"Dead is still dead, Chris."

"So I'm the leader of this little band of broken toys."

"In my perspective yes."

"What about Nina and JJ? What about Sean? How do they fit in this?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm supposed to meet you and the others. I was hoping you could elaborate more on this issue."

"You're seriously asking me?" Chris asked in a bored tone.

"You're a Cortez and a seer. I figured you'd know more." It was quite after that. Chris was focused on something else.

"What do you know about the Cortez?" Chris asked.

"Shouldn't you be asking her? She is one of them after all."

"Magical gag order." Aaron looked at her in sympathy.

"They're the first magical family. The lineage can be traced back to ancient Mesopotamia and the Sumerians. They've had different names and different homes over time, but you know a Cortez because of the mark on their wrist. Dragons were the closest and most trusted servants of the Creator."

"Creator?" Aragorn asked and Sean's surprised that he or anyone else talked, but Aaron takes the question in stride.

"God."

"That's one way to call him," Chris commented.

"That's because that is all He is. He created the universes…worlds, uh, parallel dimensions…whatever. The point is that is all He does, create. The ones charged with balancing and bringing order to his creations fall on the immortals. It's not just dragons. It's also the wolves, ravens, lions, dolphins. Immortal animal spirits that still roam the world. What makes dragons unique is that they are not only charged with the order of this world, but of also all the other ones."

"How does the Cortez come into this?" Sean asked. Aaron starts scratching his head trying to figure out how to put this.

"Just so we're all clear, this is all legend. No one knows the truth or the real history behind our magical ancestry. Anyways, at the time, the dragons were abundant, but it was still too much work to keep order in the infinite…uh, worlds there were out there. So the dragons decided to give some of their power to humans of the world, not just our world, but we all assume the others worlds out there.

"Here, the Cortez were the first to be granted the dragon's mark. And it worked out quite well for the dragons got a lot of helpers and their work load lessened. The other animal spirits saw the success and decided to do the same. And for a time, while everything was not perfect it was a lot closer to it."

"I hear a 'but' coming on." Chris commented.

"However," Aaron said instead.

"Close enough."

"The humans were corrupted by the power they received."

"By humans you mean, the Cortez ancestors." Chris added.

"They started seeing themselves as gods and well…" Aaron was trying to be tact, but Chris was having none of it.

"They developed god complexes and went into evil overlord mode and started enslaving man-kind, along with the other magical families."

"Well…," Chris raises an eyebrow daring him to put it kindly, "yeah that was pretty much what happened. Only, the other magical families were also in on it. The Cortez started it, but the other families had no problem joining in. They started going after everyone, including the immortal spirits that gave them their magic."

"I thought immortals couldn't be killed, hence the name 'immortal.'" Sean asked.

"They can be killed, it was just really difficult, but the ones they went after the most were dragons. They were close to being brought to extinction."

"How were they stopped?"

"The Creator, legend says this was the only time He openly stepped into a conflict that concerned the balance of a world and that he was not pleased."

"What he do?" Sean asked.

"He punished everyone. Dragons were not allowed to return to this world unless summoned by a castor and the number they lost they could not regain. The Cortez, well, they were punished to be forever separated from their home that they planned to enslave. Once an immortal gives something to a mortal, it cannot be taken back. Because of this, he decreed that the only way to use the gift of the immortals, one would have to suffer a mortal death. This was the entire magical community's punishment for their actions."

"You said that the Cortez would be forever separated from their home. What do you mean by that?" Chris asked.

"I mean, that many of the Cortez children that are born are going to eventually jump into another universe and once that happens. They can never come back. There's a way to tell who's jumping and who's not, or so I'm told."

"Never met a Cortez before?" Chris asks, curiously.

"Cortez don't leave their sanctuary. These are legends, but many take it as the truth. And the Cortez are pretty much the black sheep family. No one likes them and almost all wouldn't mind killing them."

"How can you tell who's jumping and who's not?"

"Their heart… it's on the right side. Not the left."

"Then how am I still here?" Chris asked and she's right. If she cannot come back, then how could she.

"I don't know. These are legends. I don't know what happens if you're here. I haven't actually been able to test these theories you know."

Chris lied back against the table with a groan; arm moving to cover her eyes. These were world shattering revelations that Aaron was speaking about. Sean himself was not a religious man and he was having trouble speaking about dragons and creators as if it were actually real. He trusts Aaron and Chris, most of the time now, but this is just ludicrous.

"So what do you wanna do now?" Aaron asked. Chris looked at Marisol.

"Can you lead us to their sanctuary?" Chris asked. Marisol looked ready to run away screaming.

"You can't be serious? After all you heard, you still want to go to there!?" Marisol screeched.

"Yes." Chris said calmly, eyes burning with determination.

"Why?" The empath demanded.

"Because it was the Cortez that took JJ and Nina. If it was Saruman's cronies then they wouldn't come here to take Hiro and Eric. Someone else took them and Nina and JJ's disappearance was the exactly the same as mine and Danny's departure. It was a Cortez that did it and I want to know why. Aaron knows this too. He just wanted me come to the conclusion myself."

"They're family." Aaron defended.

"They're not my family." Chris shot back.

The two females continued to stare at each other. Then Chris closed her eyes and breathed deeply before opening them and looking at Marisol once again. Marisol gazed at her, but her eyes were watering up.

"Fascinating," Galadriel breathed, "I've never encountered a mind like yours."

"Alright, alright. I'll help you." Marisol finally caved. "I won't take you there myself, but I can give you something that can guide you there."

Marisol brought her palms together and muttered in a language no one but maybe Aaron has heard and understand. Her hands started to glow and when she opened her hands palms facing the ceiling the light blinded everyone but the empath for a few seconds.

When the light was gone, everyone looked to her hands and saw a black compass on her palms.

"Take this gift, the one who told me to meet you also said that you would need this. It'll take you where you want to go." Chris was already standing and moving closer to Marisol. When she grabbed the compass and inspected it she couldn't help it. She just started laughing.

"What?" Marisol asked getting irritated.

"A compass that doesn't point north, but I'm not trying to find north. Please tell me someone else gets the reference." Chris kept laughing; it took a second before the others got the reference.

Everyone started laughing, except the visitors from Middle Earth.

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter. The definition of a Jiminy Cricket assignment, Legolas acts like a douche and Chris really needs a drink, which Richie is all too happy to provide in abundance. **


	10. Best Intentions

**Here's the next chapter folks. Tell me what you think. I'm thinking of writing a sexy times scene between Sean and Aaron. They're going to get together anyways, I just don't know if I should to write a smut scene with them, or a hate-sex scene between Chris and Legolas, but they're not getting together. Ah so many decisions. Anyways, enjoy and review.**

**Chapter 10: Best Intentions**

_Who knows what's right?  
The lines keep getting thinner  
My age has never made me wise  
But I keep pushing on and on and on and on_

_There's nothing left to say now...  
I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey giving up now...  
There's nothing left to say now...  
I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey giving up now_- There's Nothing Left To Say Now, Imagine Dragons

* * *

It's midnight and while that's considered late for most it isn't for Chris or most of the inhabitants of Richie's house, more like mansion (drug cartels do have good salaries). If anything the only ones who are asleep are the hobbits and the dwarf. The elves she understands, they're old and from what she hears aging comes with insomnia. So they're in the sofa watching old episodes of Friends.

She's in the living room with them, but sitting in her own little corner, trying to see if any Omega operatives are coming over since after the incident at Hiro's house, she burned the place down. The bag contained close to five hundred thousand dollars in cash, pass ports, and a letter with a picture and Chris and Danny's dog tags and keys to a storage locker. The picture was of her and Gabriel and the letter is addressed to her son.

She hasn't opened it, whatever Hiro wrote was meant for Eric and she has too much respect for her father to go snooping, plus she can take a very close guess as to what he wrote in the letter. The dog tags and the picture stayed with the letter and Chris added Gabriel's dog tags along with it. She feels that they should go to Eric instead of her.

She's got LOKI hacking through various airports and cross-referencing the pictures that the airport has to pictures she has on the omega operatives that she has on her personal files. There are less than a hundred active operative in Omega and she has a small list of about half them, but it's still something.

"So what are you, some sort of spy, or something?" Richie asked from behind her.

"Not sort of, but actually a spy." Chris rolled her eyes.

"Huh." Richie replied.

"How did you get to Middle Earth? Were you on an assignment?" Richie further inquired.

"Actually I was on a Jiminy Cricket assignment." Chris said.

"Uh, sorry, idiot here. What the hell is a Jiminy Cricket assignment?" Chris frowned, she doesn't like to talk about it, but it's Richie and he knows her and in the end it's his opinion she cares for. The others… not so much.

"A Jiminy Cricket assignment is an assignment that Omega gives their operatives when they outrun their usefulness, or are questioning their loyalty to the organization.

"Every operative plays off to be a stone cold killer with no hesitation to kill their target and no remorse. We claim that we have no boundaries, no moral code, but that is not true. There is always a line that we will not cross. A specific target that we will not kill or an action we will not execute for any reason.

"A Jiminy Cricket assignment is basically a mission that forces its operative to cross that line or die not crossing it, because not completing the mission is tantamount to death. The organization knows that the agent is incompetent or can't be trusted and will send others to eliminate said agent." Chris said waiting for the next question.

"What was your line?" Richie asked quietly. She know the others are listening, even Legolas but she doesn't care, and their opinions don't matter. She doesn't care about what Legolas thinks of her. She doesn't. She meets Richie's eyes as she speaks.

"The mission was to infiltrate a terrorist training camp in mountains of Pakistan. We were told that the camp had files of different terrorist cells in Europe and names of operatives in the United States. Mission was simple, infiltrate, get the files, decimate the camp. Simple enough." Chris had to take a pause.

"The assignment was for me and Danny. I was the one that did the actual infiltration. He stayed at the outskirts of the camp. He was the sniper in case something went wrong and I needed help. You know how good a sniper Danny is.

"I was there for an hour and I realized what kind of assignment it was. The trainees weren't adult males. They were orphans. They were missing children from eastern Europe. There were reports of children going missing, but since they were from low economic standings, they were either ignored or said that the parents sold them for money or food. They were from various ages groups, the youngest I saw was five years old and the oldest was fourteen.

"I thought I could complete the assignment. It was easy to infiltrate them and get the files. It was burning down the camp that was the problem. In the end I couldn't do it. I knew that I was pretty much signing my own death warrant when I killed everyone but the children. Danny and I took the children and crossed the border to Afghanistan where we lost some of the children. The trek was too much for the younger ones. When we came to Afghan soil we had twenty-three children with us.

"We radioed the Marines and got them to send a chopper. We changed into a Marine's uniform and waited in the small village. They've had some marine presence from time to time so seeing two uniformed soldiers won't be unusual for anyone.

"The chopper came and loaded the children up, there wasn't enough for everyone so we stayed behind. While on take-off, the chopper was shot down by an RPG. Two of the operatives were there waiting for us. They knew we wouldn't kill the kids, even mission said to kill everyone, including trainees. So they sent two more to ensure that the mission was completed and we would be eliminated. The operatives were dressed in military uniforms and turned us in to the military that came a few hours later.

"We knew that we would be blamed for the death of those kids and the three soldiers there. We also knew that we would never live to speak in court. It was a matter of time before someone came to finish us off. What we didn't expect was for an attack of insurgents while on route to an FOB. The rest they say is ancient history." Chris finishes.

"Why did you take the blades?"

"Huh?" Chris asked confused.

"Your father's blades. You took them with you, why?" Chris laughed a bit when she thought about it.

"Honestly, I thought that I would need it. I felt that I needed to take it with me. I thought I would need it for the mission. Turns out I needed it for the other things."

"What got them to stop trusting you?"

"When I found out I was pregnant with Eric, I went MIA for about six months. When I came back I claimed amnesia since I disappeared while on assignment. It was just a matter of time before they lost faith in me and they knew Danny would turn on them the moment he found out so they decided to kill him along with me."

"That's fucked up, you gotta admit."

"It's what I signed up for. I knew what I was getting in." Chris shrugged looking relaxed, but really she was relieved that Richie wasn't judging her for this.

"You're taking this surprisingly well." Sean said entering the room, Aaron trailing behind him like a lost, eager puppy and… oh, god he has the puppy eyes on full blast. Considering that Sean is still ignoring his very existence he still hasn't forgiven Aaron. Chris is surprised by this, after facing the brunt of his guilt-ridden and shameful face, she had already forgiven Aaron. She's just stalling on actually saying she forgives him for another week.

So she's a vengeful bitch. Can anyone actually be surprised by this?

But Sean? Chris can honestly say she actually has a little more respect for him. Because not only is he still making him suffer; Sean is actually acting fairly calm about being obviously stalked by a master assassin who also happens to be a little over 70 years older than him. So yeah, Chris always knew there was a reason she liked Bambi (his nickname because of the small stature and innocent aura he practically oozes).

"My wife is a witch, caster as he puts it. I knew Chris was different when we were in the marines. Honestly, finding out that she worked as a spy for the U.S of A. is probably the most normal thing I've found out so far."

"So finding out that I'm also an elf, where would that fall into your weird shit-o-meter?" Chris asked still not looking up from her laptop. It was the lack of response and the stares she was feeling that made her look up at last. Aaron and Richie were both staring at her. If Marisol was still awake, she would be too.

"I'm sorry. Did you say you were an elf?" Aaron asked.

"Well, half-elf I suppose. Turns out my father's an elf." Chris said dryly. Again the silence and the staring. It's starting to irritate her.

"You don't look, uh… can someone help me out here?" Richie said after meeting Chris' withering gaze.

"So, ears?" Aaron asked. Chris rolled her eyes and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"I'm curious though, how is it that we know about their world?" Sean asked and Chris blinked. The thought did occur to Chris, but she never thought of asking.

"I mean, how do we know about their world and how it's going to end when if my information is correct, J. R. R. Tolkien has never actually been to middle earth or was he a closet dimension jumping wizard and we all just didn't know about it?" Sean asked. Aaron was silently contemplating the question.

"I'm not sure. We assumed that there were parallel universes, I mean legends says that there was never one world and we have had others who have 'jumped' for lack of a better word. However we have never had anyone actually come back from said 'jumps.' That being said you came back and you brought the evidence." He gestured to the elves whom were now looking back at them. Legolas was looking at anyone else but Chris.

"So how do we know about it?" Richie asked.

"Multiverse theory?" Sean suggested, but it was more of a question. That made Chris think.

"Possible. Infinite universes of infinite possibilities. Many physicists have posed the idea of parallel dimensions and the idea of the 'multiverse.' The very idea of infinite possibilities is not that surreal. More than likely there isn't just one universe of Middle Earth, but several. One where there was not ring and therefore no war, or a universe that played out exactly like the book or exactly like the movies, or even where Sauron and Saruman won the war. Personally, my favorite world would be one where the roles are reversed. They're the evil ones and the evil ones are the good ones." Chris smirked at the last one.

"So you're saying that Tolkien wrote a story that just so happened to be true?" Richie asked in a whinny voice. His head was hurting now.

"Not just Tolkien, also Stephen King, J. K. Rowling, Stan Lee. Hell, I'm pretty sure in another time, another place, another universe Buffy is staking Edward Cullen." Chris said wistfully.

"If we find such a crossover universe, can we see that?" Sean asks hopefully.

"Eh, why not? Could be fun." Chris shrugged.

"So which world are you in?" Aaron asked. Chris considered Aaron for a moment. Either he thought he was going or he accepted the fate of being left behind. God the poor man is suffering. Chris decided to let him angst it out for another three days, because any longer and it was the equivalent of lighting a box full of kittens on fire in front of a group of six year olds. God, she was getting soft, what's happening to her. She's blaming her elf genes.

"Don't know. The future's changed and they're only chance of winning this war is if I stayed and fight. Or at least that was what Galadriel says." Chris nodded towards the elder female.

"It is true, I do not see a clear picture of the future for it is based on the decisions and actions of certain key individuals. However, all possible futures in which the ring is destroyed and Sauron is defeated rests on the decisions of the Ring-bearer and you, young Christian."

"Will you feel better if I told you I'm going to fight with you?" Chris said quietly. Aragorn chose that moment to enter the living room.

"Why, after the way we acted towards you?" Aragorn asked. Chris shrugged.

"You were angry and you lost Gandalf. I can understand that. It's not an excuse, but I can understand it. But mainly, I'm not doing it for your benefit. They took my father and my son. This isn't something I can detach myself from anymore. They made this personal and started a fight with me. Now they got one." Chris said darkly lips curving into a sadistic smile that sent shivers down everyone's back. Aaron and Sean were the only ones who truly understood how glad they were that they were not an enemy of short woman. Chris was already dangerous without her magic, they can only imagine how much more dangerous she is now that she is actively using her gifts.

"Excuse me." Legolas says as he stands up and leave the living room towards the stairs to the second floor and the guest rooms. Aragorn moved to follow him, but Chris stopped him.

"I'll go. I think we both need to have a talk." Chris said, standing up and walking away. Aragorn nodded reluctantly and Sean was uncertain about it as well, but trusted Chris' judgment. When Chris was up the stairs Richie spoke.

"So what's their story?" Sean contemplated telling them, but since everyone else knew it, he didn't see the point in hiding the truth.

"Well, you see…" Sean started to speak about Chris' and Danny's arrival in Middle Earth.

* * *

"Legolas?" Chris called him. Legolas didn't turn, but Chris knows he heard her.

"What do you want, Christian?" Legolas asked, voice sharper than normal. Chris isn't scared or hurt by it.

"You're angry." She states.

"So you can sense emotions like Marisol now?" Legolas sneers.

"I don't have to. I read people." Chris replies. Legolas finally turns and meets her gaze. Chris wants to run away from the blue eyed gaze, but she holds her ground. She's never run away before and she's not starting now.

"What makes you think that I'm… angry, as you so eloquently put it." Legolas mocks. He's trying to rile her up. He wants a fight. Fine then, Chris'll give him a fight. It'll be easier for the both of them in the end.

"You're angry that I didn't let you in my room when I was going to pack my safe." Chris starts and sees Legolas face flash through different emotions, before covering it in a mask of indifference.

"You're angry that I said I wanted to be friends, but I still don't trust you with my secrets." More emotions, it's getting harder for him to hide them, but he still manages. She'll have to dig deeper.

"You're angry that I have a son, or more specifically, I have a son with a man I undoubtedly love. His name is… was Gabriel Snow and I loved him. Actually, I still do love him." Chris started moving closer to him.

"Stop it." Legolas said through gritted teeth. His anger was showing; hands clenched, shoulders shaking, the physical signs of trying to repress his anger, trying to contain it. Chris was right in front of him.

"Most of all, you're not angry. You're jealous. Jealous of a man you don't know, who has my love, something you so desperately want, but can't have. You're jealous of the kisses I gave him and not you. Jealous of the whispered declarations of love I gave him and not you. You're jealous that you can't have…" Chris didn't get to finish her rant. Legolas had already struck her.

She fell to the ground. It wasn't from the force or physical pain, but from the shock of how much that actually hurt her emotionally. Damn, she really has it bad for Legolas. Legolas just stood there, inspecting his hand as if it was still possessed. He was shocked by his actions just as much as Chris.

"Feel better, or are you still angry?" Chris sneered. That snapped Legolas out of his thoughts. He glares down at her. Chris stands and meets his glare with her own defiant gaze.

"You are vile, cold-blooded woman and as you say… no good for me. This friendship is over. Do not speak to me or come up to me again." His voice was calm, but the hatred he bore down on her was very much there.

"Fine by me, now run along. Princess." Chris smirked. Legolas turned and walked down the hall and into his room. When he was in his room, Chris let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

It's fine. It's okay. It's really for the best. If that was true, then why does her chest hurt so much pain.

"You're an idiot." Marisol said from behind her. "He loves you and you could love him if you let yourself. Why fight it?" Of course, she heard everything. She probably heard everything downstairs too. Kudos to her sneakiness.

"He wants a normal life. He wants a wife to come home to. He wants a woman that doesn't have any scars. I can't do that for him. I can't heal completely. I'll always have scars and I'll never be able to live a normal life again."

"What makes you so sure?" Chris can only laugh bitterly.

"I tried it before. When I was pregnant with Eric, I tried to live a normal life. I couldn't do it. I couldn't make the transition. I tried, I really did try, but trying to live a normal life was the equivalent of killing everything that makes me who I am and I couldn't do it and I won't do it, not for anyone.

"That's what I loved about Gabriel. He loved me for me and didn't want me any other way, but Legolas doesn't know me. He sees me as this infallible person who could do no wrong.

"What he's jealous of the most about Gabriel is the fact that Gabriel fell in love with the real me, but he fell in love with an image that he has of me. That is what he is the most angry about."

Marisol didn't speak. She narrowed her eyes, trying to feel what Chris was feeling, but Chris assumed she was coming up with nothing, since Chris wasn't letting anyone in.

"Come on." Chris said tugging her hand and taking her down stairs. She noticed that Sean was gone, but Richie and Aaron were still there. When they were down, Richie waved his hand at them.

"Have fun." He said.

"What's he talking about." Chris asked.

"We're going to the pool house." Marisol said matter-of-factly.

"Okay? Why?" By then they were out the back door and walking towards the pool house.

"Because you and Sean are moping way too much and need a bitch-fest and I'm not one to deny an opportunity to complain about men."

"Marisol." Chris started to complain.

"No, no. Sean needs it, because the man has no mental blocks and you definitely need it after that scene. Plus there'll be plenty of alcohol." That made Chris reconsider.

"How much alcohol?"

"Enough to experiment how much it takes an elf to get drunk on tequila."

"I'm in." Chris said, she hasn't had a proper drink in months and right now, she really needs it.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter down and more interactions with the fellowship. I felt like I really neglected them, but yay they finally have a say and Legolas. Well, who ever thought that the path from exes to friends was ever easy especially since this is Chris we're talking about. So, yeah. Please review and tell me what you think.**


	11. Morning After

**A/N: A filler chapter for your pleasure. Nothing too explicit, but it's something. Probably going to write and post the more explicit stuff on AO3 since got more uptight on lemons. Still posting again, on Sunday more than likely.**

**Chapter 11: Morning After**

_But I came to love you anyway  
So you pulled my heart out  
And I don't mind bleeding  
Any old time you keep me waiting  
Waiting, waiting_

_Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting  
Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting  
I'm a lonely boy  
I'm a lonely boy  
Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting_- Lonely Boy, The Black Keys

* * *

"'Ris (hiccup)… 'Ris (hiccup)… I cat (hiccup) spee! (hiccup)." Sean babbled drunkenly. By this point Chris is surprised he hasn't died of alcohol poisoning, let alone stay awake and speak (sort of).

"Sean you're speaking right now. You just don't make much sense to others. Luckily I'm quite fluent in 'drunk speak.' Have no fear Bambi." Chris reassured.

"N't B'mi!" Sean exclaimed. There goes his vowel pronunciation.

"Thumper then." Chris soothes.

"Bitch." Hey there's the first coherent word since four shots of tequila ago. Chris said as much to him.

"Fuc' yoo." And he's back to 'drunk speak.'

"Okay Bambi. It's time to sleep it off." Chris said moving to get him up and towards a bed. Marisol was long gone. Apparently when she gets drunk she turns into a horny drunk when given scotch. If Chris knew about the scotch she would have drank it herself instead of letting Marisol have a go at it and then trying to shove her tongue down Sean's throat, if Sean had the use of his tongue he would have lodged a very loud complaint with words that would rhyme with 'grape.'

So Chris did the next best thing and grabbed Marisol who went for her next at the motion and dragged her back to Richie telling him to put a warning label on the scotch. Chris doesn't think he heard her since the moment Marisol was dropped on his lap she went to suck his tonsils out.

Chris isn't even drunk, mildly buzzed? Hell yes, but not the lowered inhibitions 'whoo-hoo, we're going streaking!' black-out drunk that she was searching for. And she really did try; she basically has to replace all of Richie's liquor supply. Eh, she's got the money. So right now, the scotch (after she took it from Marisol) is gone; along with the vodka, the rum, the tequila, the whiskey and a bottle of Absinth that Chris was surprised to find. She didn't do it alone, Sean and Marisol helped and while she isn't hammered, she was kind of hoping for drunk. But fate and elvish genes are cruel bitches and she can't even have that.

For fucks sake, Chris doesn't even see double. Blurry yes, double no. God, she needs to convert to chemistry and see if she can brew great quality alcohol that can make Galadriel think giving a strip tease is the greatest idea ever.

And Chris needs to get on that ASAP, because that is something Chris really wants to see. But first things first. Get Sean to bed. See, she can prioritize, that's how sober she is. Fuck you, mortal drunken bastards!

When they neared the bed, Sean was about ready to vomit the alcohol and at that sign Chris hauled ass to the toilet. The pool house was really just a small house with a bed, bathroom and bar (so if someone wanted a drink they wouldn't have to go inside the house to get it).

When Sean was done retching Chris had to brush his teeth herself because Sean was half asleep by then. He would thank her in the morning that his breath smells like cinnamon instead of vomit. Probably in the next twenty four hours, after he gets rid of his hangover.

When she finally tucks him in and moves to leave Sean grabs her arm.

"Don wanna be alone." Sean says.

"You got your speech back." Chris notes and Sean grips her arm tighter.

"Please," he whispers pleadingly. Chris relents. Sean is wearing nothing but his boxers, or Aaron's boxers since they're definitely too big on Sean. Chris gets rid of her shirt and pants and slides under the covers with him. It's not sexual, not at all. They both need the reassurance that they're not alone. Chris is on his left side and rests her head on Sean's chest with an arm over his waist.

"Still love him. Always did," Sean says wrapping his arm over Chris' shoulder.

"I know."

"What do I do?"

"Do you trust him?"

"Can't." Sean mumbles feebly.

"Why not?" Chris asks, drunken therapy hour, this is actually normal for her. Yes, this is her life: witch, elf, assassin, spy and unpaid therapist telling you several, polite (sarcasm) ways to say 'get your head out of your ass.'

"Don trust 'im." Sean says weakly.

"Alright, answer this. If you're in trouble who is the first person you think of?"

"Aaron."

"Uh-huh and why call him?" Chris continued.

"He always comes." Sean said confidently.

"Yeah that's what I thought. You already trust him. He's the one you go to when you're in trouble. He's the one you think of when you need help, or someone to talk to, that's not about relationships because I have that job, unfortunately. But all other things you go to him. You already trust him, you're just mad that he didn't trust you with this."

"Then wha do I do?" Sean whined.

"Forgive him for withholding this info, because you're just hurting yourself and him too. You love him. He loves you. You had a fight, however one-sided. Now you learn from it and move on."

"It's not easy." Sean said.

"Welcome to an adult relationship, Bambi. Now sleep." Chris said closing her eyes.

"Not Bambi." Sean said drifting off.

"Thumper then. I'll get you the ears and tail. Now sleep." Chris mumbled back.

* * *

"How you holding up there, Bambi?" Chris whispered, but it was too _fucking _loud. Sean didn't even grace that with a reply, or maybe he did. He can't tell. He's in the sleep/awake state. He's only vaguely aware of his surroundings.

Then Sean felt his world shift and he was sitting up. Huh, he thought he already was sitting up. Chris grabs his hand and hands him a glass, but he doesn't really grip it. Chris doesn't let go of the glass and Chris motions the glass to his lips with his hand still attached to it.

The glass meets his lips and he's assaulted with the most foul taste he has ever had the displeasure of sampling and he absolutely loves it. It tastes like shit, but he's feeling more alert the more he drinks. The pounding headache is starting the ebb away and before he knows it he's chugging the damn thing, flavor be damn. He's drinking this liquid cure.

"Fuck Marisol. What the hell is in this?" He hears Chris, but he doesn't see her. His eyes are clenched and focused on drinking this, whatever this is.

"Trust me, you're better off not knowing, but it's a very excellent hangover cure." Marisol commented. He opens his eyes once he's finished. He looks at Marisol, then Chris and immediately back at Marisol. He can feel his face going red.

"See this is why you're Bambi. Seriously, you've seen me naked before." Chris is laughing at him now.

"Not Bambi." Sean muttered lowly.

"Thumper then. Oh, and here. I found them lying around the house don't ask me why Marisol would need it. You're better off not knowing." Chris said putting on grey rabbit ears on his head. Bitch.

"Not funny." Sean glared at the half naked woman, who just shrugged.

"It's funny to me." Was her only reply.

"I will admit you do look adorable in it." Marisol chirped in, before adding.

"So what happened last night?" Sean blinks and Chris gives a predatory smile.

"You're naked under those sheets and I'm only wearing underwear and we slept on the same bed. What the hell do you think happened?" Sean felt coils in the pit of his stomach.

"Yes, Sean what did happen?" Aaron says entering the room and god dammit why does he look hurt and betrayed. Sean is sweating now.

"Uh, sleep?" He asks. A large smile starts spreading on Chris' face, before she breaks down laughing.

"Yeah. That was pretty much what happened. I'm sorry, but it has to be done. The both of you are acting like idiots and it was time to step in. Have fun, Bambi." Chris smiled coyly, before getting off the bed and putting on her clothing. She grabbed Marisol and gunned for the exit before telling something to Aaron too low for him to hear. She gave him a peck on the cheek and sauntering off with Marisol in tow. She looked confused, but now she had a lecherous look on her face by the time Chris left.

* * *

"He still loves you so don't fuck this up." Chris said before she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Marisol trailed behind her with a sly grin.

"Have fun." She whispered coyly. She probably read what he wanted to do when Chris insinuated that she and Sean fucked last night. Chris is a manipulative bitch. Why does he stick around again?

"Uh, nothing did happen last night, you know." Sean said looking at Aaron sheepishly. The bunny ears were still on his head. He looked… _cute._ Oh, who the fuck was he kidding. The things those fucking bunny ears did to him. Christ, he just discovered a new kink. Chris is a bitch, he'll tell her as much when he sees her next… after he's done thanking her profusely.

"You didn't sound so sure a moment ago." Shit, shit, shit! That's not what he meant to say. He wanted to sound suave, not desperate and jealous. Sean face went beet red and looked down at his hands.

"Yeah, I realized Chris was screwing with me when I realized I'm still wearing underwear." Sean mumbled weakly still not meeting his eye. Aaron resists from taking a step further, but god he wants to.

"I'm sorry. For everything. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't." Sean didn't say anything, but he did look at him; his eyes studying him.

"You weren't planning on telling me anything either way. You weren't going to tell me about my own history. That's what I'm angry about. You couldn't trust me with my own history." Sean said and okay he's really paying attention to what he is saying, but the fucking bunny ears are making it very difficult.

"You're right. I wouldn't have told you even if I wasn't magically bound, but it's not because I didn't trust you. It was because you would've wanted to go through the process and I was afraid of that, because even if you were willing, you still have a forty percent success rate. That is why there are so little casters and why we stick close to our magical sanctuaries.

"I thought I was protecting you if you didn't know about it, because in the end I didn't want to face the risk of losing you. I took away your option by not telling you that you even had a choice. I thought that I was doing the right thing, but I know that I was just being selfish. I'm sorry."

"Why are you with me?" Sean asked confusion the only emotion he is reading. Aaron is confused by the question, before he gets it.

"You're kidding right? You're small, scrawny, have a memory that'll put an elephant to shame, and come with a pamphlet of health problems."

"Is this your usual method of seduction, because it sucks?" Sean interrupted.

"I wasn't finished," Aaron said moving closer to Sean until he was sitting on the bed, "yet despite that, you're loyal, ridiculously smart, and won't back down from a fight you believe in. And more than that, I am hopelessly in love with you and I am really tired of having to hide it." He didn't wait for Sean to respond. He reached in and kissed Sean. One arm snaked around his waist while his free hand touched the side of his face, rubbing smooth circles on his cheek with his thump.

He was beginning to regret the action when Sean didn't react after a while. He was going to break it off and apologize profusely for misreading the entire situation and finding a way to kill Chris who put the idea in his head when Sean grabbed his shirt and kissed back. When Aaron finally swipes his tongue at his bottom lips asking for entrance Sean complies in a breathy moan.

Aaron swipes inside that moist cavern that he is re-familiarizing himself with and it's beautiful. His taste, his moans, his shudders when Aaron's hands slide over his body. When they finally pull away for air, Sean is still red, but it has spread across his body and his pupils dilated and panting heavily. Sean is sitting on Aaron's lap and… huh?

"You're wearing my boxers?" Aaron notes out loud. Can Sean really go any redder?

"You weren't using it." Sean replies meekly.

"It looks good on you." Aaron tries to go for suave again, but it comes out possessive. Sean in his clothing has always triggered a possessive streak in him.

"Does this mean you forgive me?" Aaron asks and fuck it all, Aaron needs to control his brain to mouth filter around Sean. Sean stares at Aaron pensively, before he grinds onto him- when the fuck did his jeans shrink?

"If you don't lose the clothes and make me lose my mind in the next ten seconds I'll never forgive you?" Sean said in all the seriousness a semi-naked man can muster.

And who is he to anger Sean, he glares. He'll probably glare anyways when he finds out that he's still wearing the bunny ears.


	12. Show Me What You've Got

**Chapter 12: Show Me What You've Got**

_I've got no patience now  
So sick of complacence now  
I've got no patience now  
So sick of complacence now  
Sick of sick of sick of sick of you  
Time has come to pay...  
Know your enemy! _- Know Your Enemy, Rage Against the Machine

* * *

Chris is talking with Richie and planning the trip to El Salvador. Marisol can't reveal where it is, hence the compass. Chris knows that it's somewhere in El Salvador, that's where she's from so that's the best place to start looking.

"Here try this." Marisol came up to her with a physical map of the western hemisphere. She comes in after Richie is done and leaves Chris alone in his office.

"Okay…uh, what do I do?" Chris asked confused.

"You're an earthbender and a firebender if you watched Avatar: The Last Airbender. It's a cartoon; don't look at me like that. Point is those with the power of earth and fire you can do more than move objects with your mind or glimpse the future. You can also track other with your powers.

"Just place your palm on the map, close your eyes and think of the ones you're looking for." Marisol said guiding her right palm towards the map.

Chris only eyed her skeptically, wondering if she was pulling her leg. Illogical, yes, but she's never experienced something like this or considered the fact that she could use her powers. That was how independent she was of it. Even the thought of actually using the compass was something that she would prefer not to use at all.

Christ Chris feels ridiculous just thinking about doing it, but come on she can't be faulted for it. All her life she didn't believe in magic or powers, even when she could do things no one else could do. Now she's fighting off Orcs, moving boulders, flying (kind of) and getting glimpses of the future. Also she's found out that her world is much weirder than she previously thought and that she's not alone. People like her are closer than she thought.

"You're uncomfortable by this, aren't you?" Marisol pulled her out of her thoughts. Chris didn't even blink; she's long ago learned how to hide her emotions.

"It's weird, you know. Even with everything that I could do. I still didn't believe in this. I always had this illogical hope of a plausible explanation. Is that weird?"

"No, you didn't grow up in my environment. You didn't know what to expect or how to handle it. I'm actually surprised by how you handled it. Most people would have been corrupted by this, or pursue the vigilante justice route. You did neither, you hid it. More than that you suppressed it, but now you don't need to. You don't have to hide, not anymore. You've got people that will help you. You're strong Chris, much stronger than me or anyone that I've met in all ways possible. So don't doubt yourself and just do what you need to do."

Chris didn't say anything or motioned that she heard her. She just stared at the map. Breathing deeply, Chris placed her palm on the map and closed her eyes. Marisol doesn't say anything, but Chris knows that she understand Chris still needs to take things in baby steps.

Marisol leaves giving Chris much needed space that she needs.

* * *

_It's green and hot. There are mountains all around, but that's expected. El Salvador is a mountainous region. It's a jungle where she's at. Trees are everywhere, but there is only one that is the center of her focus. _

_It's big, much larger than all the others. Several smaller barks, or trunks, twisted together to form this huge monstrosity. At the top, hundreds of branches stretch out in all direction. There is a clearing around the tree; there is grass soft and inviting on Chris' feet. At the edge of the clearing there is a narrow pathway that leads away, but it is covered. As if it was purposefully closed off, but there is a small hole big enough for a child to fit through._

_There is a familiarity here. _

_There's a giggle. A small child-like laugh and Chris looks around trying to find the source._

"_You came.__" A little girl says in Spanish, but Chris can't see her._

"_Where's here.__" Chris responds._

"_Do you not remember? Don't you remember your promise? You and Daniel promised. You promised me.__"_

* * *

Chris opens her eyes and she sees a scorch mark on the map. It's a small burned hole on the northwestern part of country bordering on Guatemala. Huh, so it worked. She looks at the clock on the desk and sees over an hour has passed.

When she goes out to the living room, everyone is there minus Sean and Aaron. Marisol looks up and sees Chris.

"Do you know where to go?"

"I know where to start. Northwest of Metapan." Marisol nods, but she's pretty sure the worried look was confirmation enough. She still doesn't want her to go.

"When do we leave?" Aragorn asked and Chris blinks.

"I'm sorry, 'we'?"

"We are going with you are we not?" Chris blinked again.

"Uh, no. You're not. Too dangerous and you'll be more of a hindrance than actual help." Pretty much everyone looked offended by that statement.

"What it's a legitimate reason! They won't fight fair, if they decide to attack. They'll use magic, none of which you have any defenses for."

"Neither do you." Gimli countered.

"Exactly. I can guard myself, you'll slow me down if I have to guard all of you."

"We do not need your protection." Legolas said lowly. Chris looked at him then at the rest of the group. They were determined to go, even Boromir wanted to go out of genuine concern for her.

"Alright. We'll compromise. Everyone who wishes to come with me raise your hands."

Aragorn, Gimli, Boromir, Legolas, and even Haldir raised their right hand. The hobbits raise their hands too, but they'll rethink it soon.

"Okay come with me and bring your weapons." Chris turned and walked towards the back yard past the pool and towards an open area. Richie owns a large portion of land. Once they were a good distance away from the house, Chris turned on them.

"Alright. You say you can fight against others who can use magic against you let's see if this is true. Marisol, use your abilities on them."

"What's the meaning of this?" Boromir yells.

"You say you can fight against casters. Well I want to see it. You're going to fight me. Use any weapons and tactics you see fit. You've proven yourselves the moment I give up. Until then, fight me with the intent to kill me or you won't win." Chris said preparing herself.

"You have no weapon." Legolas said.

"I have a sneaking suspicion that casters don't use weapons, unless it's a wand or a staff. Am I right?" Chris turned to Marisol.

"Mostly. Casters are too heavily reliant on their magic to protect them. Most of them can't fight worth a damn, much less handle a gun." Marisol said.

"Thank you. Now quick stalling and attack me." Chris said staring hard at Legolas.

"It's five against one and you're unarmed." Legolas shot back.

"Trust me. You would need more guys and that's without magic. Now quit stalling and attack me, _Princess._" Chris sneered. And yup, just as she called it. Legolas didn't think after that nickname.

Once he started, the others joined in. The hobbits, predictably, stayed out of the fight.

* * *

When Sean and Aaron finally emerge from the room it's close to two in the afternoon. Sean is dressed and but he still looks perfectly debauched and the red face isn't helping at all. Sean blames Aaron completely.

Aaron is also dressed with an air of victory and euphoria. He also has the grin of a dumbass that Sean can't help but blush at.

They go to the main house, but find that it's empty. Aaron looks around before he senses someone using magic. Chris, he can sense her anywhere. He's already tuned to her signature and Marisol he believes since he doesn't know any other casters around the area.

"Let's go." He grabs Sean's hand and starts leading him to the source of the disturbance. He needs to know what's going on.

When he arrives at the clearing where everyone is, he follows their gaze.

There Chris is fighting Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, and Haldir. They all have fear in their eyes, but they're still fighting Chris. Marisol is focused intently on the males and Aaron knows that she's the cause of the fear.

"What's going on?" Sean asks the hobbits. The hobbits quickly explain what is happening.

"Well, shit." Aaron and Sean said in unison.

The fight is going as expected… Chris is winning. She's not really doing anything. The others are trying to come near her, but it's futile. She's using projectile rocks for ammo and every time anyone uses an arrow, Chris either uses a rock wall to cover her or just stops it with her mind. They can't get near her.

She has a strong defense and an offense.

Legolas seems to have had enough of the fight and runs towards her with loud bellow. Chris doesn't move to stop it. Legolas going at her in full speed and Chris only stands her ground and braces her feet. Legolas moves tries to tackle her but Chris crouches lower and catches him on his lower waist and thighs. Using her legs she pushes up and flips Legolas over her back and he slams onto the ground behind her.

The others, seeing an opening, move to attack her as well. Aragorn comes to her right, sword ready to swing. She flips back onto her hands just as Aragorn swings his sword. Her left foot catches his chin and he's knocked back.

When Chris is on her feet again, crouched low, Gimli is bringing his axe down and Chris barely dodges that and now Boromir has her in his arms. Chris struggles to get away but Haldir is on her and tries to knock her out with a punch.

The first one catches her on her right cheek, but the second one catches Boromir after Chris dodges it. Boromir yells and releases of Chris and Chris uses Boromir's bended knees as leverage to jump and slams her knee on Haldir's face. On her feet again, Chris punches Boromir once again to knock him out for good.

Gimli doesn't run towards her and that's probably that smartest thing anyone's done since they attacked at the first opening. He's not charging blindly, he's studying his opponent and waiting for the right moment to attack. Chris doesn't give him a chance to strategize; she takes the initiative and runs straight for him. At the last second she slides to his left and Gimli is too surprised by the move to do anything before it's too late. She pushes her weight to her left arm and swings her hips. Gimli react and swings his axe towards her arm holding her weight but Chris catches it with her feet and knocks it into the air and slamming both feet onto his chest knocking the wind out of him. Chris flips back to her feet and catches the axe before it lands on Gimli's right side. Chris twirls and swings the axe for Gimli's throat. Gimli sees this coming and can't do anything to stop it. He clenches his eyes shut and waits for the inevitable.

It never came. Gimli slowly unclenches his eyes and looks down. The axe is less than two inches from his throat. He sees Chris holding the axe with steady hands, _unflinching_ hands.

"Yield." Chris commands. Gimli swallows hard and nods his head carefully.

Chris flips the axe and grabs the handle closest to the metal and leaves the bottom for Gimli to grab. He does it carefully. Chris nods to him and turns to the others.

All of them are physically unharmed (mostly), but the same cannot be said for their pride or their egos. They weren't doing well when she was using her abilities, but they were just effectively beaten when Chris dropped her magic and went for a full hand-to-hand combat. They knew she could fight. They saw as much on the video, but they weren't convinced until now.

"You can't come, but I'm not going alone." Chris said finally. She looks to Aaron.

"I'm going to need some help." Chris says to him.

"I'm in. Whatever you need." Aaron says. Chris nods to him. "Just so we're clear. You want to take me to their sanctuary?"

"Yes." Chris says dryly.

"Well this will be interesting. I don't think the Cortez has had an outsider in their sanctuary since, well, ever." Aaron says.

"If it makes you feel any better I would consider myself an outsider."

"It doesn't. They might just try to kill us on principle."

"They won't." Chris says convincingly.

"What makes you so sure?"

"They took Nina and JJ. They wanted my attention. They want me there."

"So you're saying it's a trap?" Aaron says not liking the sound.

"Yes but it won't work. One I know it's a trap and two, well call it women's intuition. I just know we'll be fine…-ish?"

Aaron doesn't say anything, but just nods and goes along with Chris' decision. She hasn't let him down yet.

"I want to go through with the Reawakening." Sean says out of nowhere.


	13. Do Not Resuscitate

**Chapter 13: Do Not Resuscitate **

_Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know you do  
And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through  
Move along  
Move along_ – Move Along, All American Rejects

* * *

Aaron was firmly against it, but if he loved Sean any less he would have forcibly shoved Sean in a death proofed room and locked him away. He came close too, but he didn't. Sean would never forgive him for this. Sean wanted some help with the transition and Aaron refused. So Sean went to Chris, but she refused too.

She couldn't kill Sean, she loved him like a little brother. She couldn't do it. So Marisol stepped up in their place. She's seen others help those that wish to go through the Reawakening. She's never done it before, but is not very hard to do; just kill the person.

Marisol understands his reason for doing it now. She may be an empath, but emotions do betray one's inner thoughts. Sean feels weak in his current state, he feels the need to catch up to Chris and Aaron. More than that he feels a vacant hole, a missed connection from his mother. Sean feels that by doing this he can be once again closer to the only real blood he can barely remember.

Marisol understands, but does not entirely approve. She cannot deny his request either and have that on her conscience. Chances improve if a witch or wizard helps via magic. She can only try to dissuade him.

"You understand that this will not be easy, or painless." Marisol asks one last time holding his hands looking for any emotion of hesitation or worry.

"I do." Sean says emitting determination and stubbornness.

"You understand that this may not work. You do not have to go through Reawakening."

"I do, but I still want to." Marisol has done all she could to dissuade him, barring mind control. She has standards.

"Very well. Prepare yourself and good luck." Marisol said before releasing his hand and stepping away. They are outside, near the pool house, but the others are inside. It is only Marisol, Sean and Chris and Aaron. They won't do the deed, but neither will they allow Sean to go through this by himself.

A gray aura surrounds Marisol, she is channeling her element. A light grey bubble appears around Sean and he is suddenly clutching his throat. He tries to move, but can't. The bubble won't let him escape.

Behind Marisol, she can feel Aaron's worry and desperation. He wants to attack Marisol, but Chris' hand on his shoulder is a heavy reminder that Chris will defend Marisol for this. Aaron stays put, tense and alert, but put.

Marisol focuses back on Sean, knowing Chris has her covered. She's never done this before, but wind is her element. Air is what she knows and feels. She's covered Sean in a bubble and sucking out all the air, the oxygen that Sean needs to breath.

It is the best option. His body is not physically damaged by death via suffocation it helps if – when he comes back. His body is physically unharmed and he does not have problems breathing again.

Sean is on the floor, unable to breath. Marisol waits sensing his emotions. Fear is the most dominate expression. Marisol senses when he dies. His emotions are not gone. Non-existent. It's not like with Chris. Marisol can't read Chris most times, but she can sense them somewhere deep inside where Marisol can't reach. But with Sean it was there and now it's gone. It's hard for Marisol to feel someone dying because a piece of her goes with them. It feels like she's missing something when it's over. There's something that should be there but isn't and it drives her mad trying to figure out what it is.

It is a dejecting feeling.

Marisol stops, the gray glow surrounding her has dispersed. Aaron goes straight to Sean the moment the bubble is gone. He kneels beside him arms over his body wanting to move him from the ground, but knows he shouldn't.

Instead he opts for moving Sean on his back and positions his arms on his waist. _Like Sleeping Beauty_ Marisol thinks.

"Why can't we move him?" Chris asks.

"If we move the body then the soul won't be able to find its way back."

"And why couldn't we do this inside?"

"It's easier if the body is in open land and not in a room in a building."

"You know its bull, right?" Marisol frowned, even Aaron shot a glare towards her direction.

"It's what we believe. Who are you to say otherwise?" And Marisol knows that is the wrong thing to say. Chris looks at her with hollow eyes filled with anger. And of course what does Chris know of these myths? What does she know of those superstitions that Marisol and Aaron wish to cling to.

"I died in an ambulance on my way to the hospital and came back while I was inside there. I found my way back. He can too." Chris said curtly before turning and walking away.

* * *

It's been thirty minutes and Aaron is getting nervous. Technically, thirty minutes isn't a long time to be dead, he himself was dead for about an hour and a half, but it's still too long when it concerns Sean.

It got so bad that Marisol ordered him to leave if he couldn't control his emotions or learn how to block them.

"Maybe you should go to Chris, you know the one who can actually be of use." Marisol suggested, but Aaron can hear an order loud and clear.

"How would she be of use, exactly?"

"She doesn't distract me from keeping an eye on Sean. Also, you could apologize to her." Again there's the order in the form of suggestions. Clearly what Marisol said offended her, but it was Marisol who said it not him. Why does he have to apologize?

"She cares more about your opinion than mine." Marisol answered. Aaron glares at Marisol. He hates wind users. They like messing with other people's head.

"I thought you couldn't read thoughts."

"I can't. I read emotions and deduce what they're thinking from there. The only thoughts I could read are Richie's and that goes both ways. Whoever invaded your thoughts, keep that image away from me. Not all telepaths are as low as that person." Marisol warned.

"Then stop reading my emotions." Aaron shot back.

"Then stop projecting them out loud and leave! I have enough to worry about." Marisol commanded. Aaron didn't want to leave, but for some he found himself near the pool, moving closer to Chris who was sitting by the ledge. Her pants rolled up and the water reaching up her calves. There was a small flame playing around in front of her.

He saw her and felt the need to say something. He didn't know where it came from, but he just needed to say something to her. Anything really.

"I'm sorry." Aaron hears himself say. Then he realizes what he just said and thinks _that Bitch!_

* * *

"I'm sorry." Chris hears, she turns looks at Aaron, his confusion and then anger etched on his face before she turns and refocuses on the flame.

"No, you're not but it was a nice effort." Chris says. Chris hears nothing but knows that he's still standing there or else she would have heard him leave.

"Your aunt's a bitch." Aaron finally says, before rolling up his jeans and sitting next to her.

"What did she do." Chris asks genuinely curious. He can't be that angry about killing Sean. Okay, he can't be angry about just that she amends.

"Did you know she can kind of take over your mind?" That makes the flame in front of her burst brightly before quickly disappearing.

"Can she do that to anyone?" Chris asked carefully. There are a lot of things Chris can tolerate. People who could potentially take over her mind she cannot. Aaron for his part blushes faintly.

"I think it only works on people who are emotionally unstable or compromised to begin with." That makes Chris feel somewhat relieved. Aaron is already compromised making it easy for Marisol to manipulate his emotions. It is such a nifty gift if Chris wasn't so terrified of it.

Chris resumes her pyro antics.

"What are you doing?" Chris shrugs.

"It's calming. Did Marisol kick you out because you were bugging her?" Aaron's non-reply is answer enough. There's noise coming from inside the house.

"Just come on over already!" Chris shouts. The fellowship makes their way.

"Sit, relax. Don't just stand there you're making me nervous." Chris says. They all look nice in regular clothing. The hobbits don't waste time and roll up their pants except for Pippin who's wearing shorts and sitting on the ledge of the pool. The men take the easy chairs and Galadriel and Celeborn took the table.

"The others I can understand, but what's your beef with Haldir?" Aaron says looking at Haldir's broken nose. A knee to the face will guarantee something broken.

"He really should've killed me." Chris says simply. She isn't overtly suicidal, but right now she does have a better understanding of ending it all. She won't do it either. She won't take the coward's way out. She likes to say that she's too proud to stoop to that level or that she isn't a coward, but really there are too many promises and demands that she must meet.

Daniel's final request.

Ensuring her father is safe. And above all…

Her promise to Gabriel.

_Remember your promise._ And there's that.

Too many promises and demands that no one else can do but her. Haldir really should have killed her and saved her the trouble. How very clichéd of her to hate the man that saved her life.

"If he did, I would have avenged your death." Aaron said.

"Yeah, you probably would have found a way." Chris agrees.

There's silence for a while. The comfortable camaraderie that they used to share, before everything got all fucked up and confusing. Chris lays down on her back still focused on the flame and Aaron lays next to her, eyes focused on the magical fire.

"I am sorry, you know. I'm sorry for snapping. I didn't mean to." Chris doesn't need to look to know it's genuine this time.

"I understand. It's Sean, but you're right. I am an outsider. I have no understanding of your world." Chris replies.

"It's not your fault."

"No, but it's my fault for not trying to embrace it. I'm still scared of it. The things I could do scares me. It's why I repressed it from the very beginning. That power cannot be or shouldn't be for only one person to possess. It's so very easy for me to just lose myself in it and that is unnerving."

It wasn't always like that. She was ecstatic about her abilities in the beginning. Who wouldn't be? She even indulged on superhero fantasies, she was still stuck on the name. It wasn't until she was close to killing Danny that it all changed. Then she saw them as giving a gun to a toddler and she was the damn toddler. The only way to keep everyone safe was to take the gun away; repressing her abilities.

"Is that what this is?" Aaron asks gesturing to the flame forming various animals and acting their parts before transforming into something else.

"It's a start. I'm afraid of fire, you know. How pathetic is that?"

"That… is pretty fucking sad." Aaron snickers.

"Dick."

"Bitch."

Yeah, they're getting closer to the way they were.

"I could help you. I have a spell book and a wand for you to use, the book I mean. The wand's mine." Chris thinks about it. But the only thing she could say is…

"So you have a Book of Shadows, huh? Does the wand have a phoenix feather, does it belong to Dumbledore's phoenix?" Chris can't help it. She's kind of a bitch like that.

"It's a book with basic spells and the language we use to channel our magic and a caster adds on to it. I've collected a lot of useful things into it. The wand I got when I came across a magical tree by accident. There are many places in this world that are still magical. Even then acquiring a wand from the tree is dangerous, because you must prove your worthiness. I nearly died when I got it twenty years ago."

That made Chris smile and feel a little sad. She likes to think that she knows Aaron pretty well, but there's a whole other side to him that she has yet to discover. It makes her feel sad that she doesn't know him.

But maybe it's a good thing. She can learn more about him while she's learning more about the side of her that comes with her magic, magical history and all. It is a pleasing thought.

Chris abruptly sits up when she feels it.

"What's wrong?" Aaron asks worried. Chris just smiles at him.

"Sean's back." Chris says getting up and walking across the pool towards the field. Aaron is following right beside her. Chris doesn't know what to expect, if Sean is any different from this. She hopes not, she likes Sean as is.

She vaguely hears the others following her and Aaron. When she sees Sean, she's glad that he still looks the same. She's wondering why she expected him to look different. He looks a little disoriented, but otherwise he still looks like Bambi.

When he see them, Chris sees the tears coming down and that gets Aaron running. Then Sean starts running and Chris is seeing every clichéd romance movie playing out before her eyes.

Then the romance film comes to an end when Sean runs straight past Aaron and runs towards… her? Well… fuck.

Sean tackles her to the ground in a hug. Chris does not feel the need to remain upright. Maybe the blow will knock some sense into her. Hey she can dream, or wake up from one, can't she?

Chris doesn't need to know that Aaron's glaring, the invisible death ray that she feels is telling enough. She's not hugging Sean, she has her hands up and away from his body in a show of, 'Peace, see I'm not touching, not doing anything wrong.'

"Uh, Sean please tell me you're hugging me instead of Aaron for any another reason other than you're death experience unlocked your hidden love feelings for me, because I really don't feel like fighting Aaron to the death." She really doesn't, but she gets the feeling that that is what it will come down to.

"Don't be ridiculous." Chris breathes a sigh of release.

"I saw Gabriel." Chris stops breathing altogether.

"Can't you just say you love me?" Chris groans, in the background she hears Aaron snort. _Heartless dick!_


	14. Magic is Never Easy

**I am so sorry. Family and school. No excuse, but I will update again soon on the weekend. Also after the next chapter I'm sending everyone back to Middle Earth. **

**Chapter 14: Magic is Never Easy**

_Silently reflection turns my world to stone  
Patiently correction leaves us all alone  
And sometimes I'm a travel man  
But tonight this engine's failing  
I still hear the children playing_- Tranquilize, The Killers ft. Lou Reed

* * *

He doesn't look any different. He's still the same; small, lanky, looks like a wind traveling over 15mph would knock him over. He doesn't look different, but he feels different.

His asthma is gone. It wasn't something he noticed until three days after Reawakening. He woke up that morning and noticed his inhaler and realized he hasn't used it since that day. When he went downstairs, everyone was in various stages of post sleep (except for the elves). The only ones not there was Aaron and Chris and no one went to wake her up. Since those three days, she didn't sleep period.

Usually this was nothing unusual, she's gone longer without sleep. It was without food that was putting Aaron and Sean on edge. It makes Sean regret saying anything at all about Gabriel to Chris, but he knew that he had to tell her what he saw. Chris said nothing and let him speak. She didn't say anything after he was done, she just walked away and went off in her own world, thinking, reflecting and planning her next move.

Sean doesn't want her or Aaron to leave, but he knows Chris will go regardless and Aaron will follow to make sure she comes back alive and intact. He wants to go, but both ganged up on him saying that he had no control over his magic and would be more of a hindrance than actual help.

So he's staying and honing his magic. He looks at his wrist. A howling wolf and on the top left side was a droplet of water. His element was water.

"Magic doesn't just come to you automatically Sean. There are many who bear the mark of an element, but cannot use it at all. They never learned to become attuned to it. They just react on instinct, but can never call on it willingly." Marisol said sensing his dilemma.

"How do I do that?" Marisol shrugged.

"It is different to everyone. I became an empath, because I was more adept to the emotions of those around me. My element allowed me to help or hurt them with it. The element we are marked with is the element best suited to our personalities and emotions.

"You were weak and everyone saw you that way, except those closest who knew better. And now you are better physically. Don't look so surprised, my element is wind."

"So what can I do with water?" Sean asked, because that was the crux of the matter. How can he use his abilities, how can he help those he cares most. Marisol shrugs.

"That is up to you. You can heal or hurt someone. You can heal those on the verge of dying or destroy them from the inside out. Most people associate water as soothing and calm, but they forget that it is a destructive force all on its own like any other element. I've seen water benders kill with water or the extra ability they have. In the end, the choice is yours to make and the cost yours to endure."

Sean looked at his mark. He choose this, he would get stronger. He would help his friends in any way he could. He wasn't weak, never was and he will damn well remind anyone who says otherwise.

"What more can you tell me about these marks?" Chris spoke entering the room. The fellowship looked up, but said nothing. Really what can they say? They're out of their element and at the mercy of those who house them. He kind of feels sorry, because no one is making an effort to include them, but Chris does it because she knows they'll feel more useless, because there is nothing they can do to help. Chris promises to get them back after she is done dealing with her own affairs and they can only hope she doesn't die because she is really the only one who can take them back.

"What do you know about the mark and the weight it carries?" Chris told her what Elrond said to her originally and Marisol listened.

"That is actually an elementary explanation."

"What's the college level answer?" Chris retorted.

"Everything is connected. Earth, wind, fire, water and lightening has their own symbolism and meaning but it the magic is not strictly limited to them. Take water for example. With water, a caster can manipulate water and the extra ability is not only limited to a healing nature. It is true that most if not all water users are healers. They can all heal their own wounds or physical ailments as Sean did with his asthma and other health problems he once had. Then there are some who have learned more about their element and have become more connected that can heal others as well as themselves.

"Then there are those that can kill because they have gained another ability besides the healing factor. I've seen others who can give or take energy from others. I've even seen those who can control people."

"Isn't that something only wind users can do?" Sean interrupted.

"Yes… and no. Air-benders control others through the mind. Water-benders control others through the body. The human body is about 60% water and it can be easily manipulated by a water-bender and stop staring at me like that! It's a fucking cartoon and for fuck's sake just watch it already!"

"I'm just surprised you actually watch cartoons, you know they're for kids right?"

"Fuck you."

"And the cursing you don't usually curse." Chris notes.

"You're pissing me off and I tend to curse when pissed, it's a natural human reaction." Chris shrugged and made a twirling motion with her hand.

"Is she always such a dismissive bitch?" Marisol asked getting angrier by Chris' reaction and Sean really wanted to avoid a cat fight.

"Only when she's hungry and sleep deprived, which happens more often than you'd think." Aaron entered with breakfast tacos for a small army and knowing the hobbits, Sean feels it's not enough. Chris takes two; looks at the pile and takes three more. Marisol raises an eyebrow and decides to continue with her lecture.

"Where was I?"

"The similarities between air-benders and water-benders," Sean says not giving Chris the chance to speak.

"Right control over the body, the difference is mind over body. It's the same thing but employed differently. What you must remember is that the elements are all connected it is circular, a wheel of life if you will. For those who have control over earth, the extra ability is not just telekinesis. Earth-benders usually come with inhumane strength.

"There are many instances where the magic one has does not coincide with the element they are marked with. Is this clearing anything for you? Magic is not easy. It is complicated and while there are rules that come with practicing magic, it is more to incline toward casters than magic itself."

"So you're saying that the element kind of hones in the magic we already possess, but we can go outside the norm?" Sean asks he's getting a headache. He hates it when he gets confused.

"Simplistic, but yes that is what I'm trying to say. The elements have their own benefits, but they are connected."

"Which element is the most dangerous?" Chris asked out of the blue and Sean was surprised by the answer.

"Fire, but you already knew that." Marisol spoke calmly to Chris as if afraid.

"Why?" Not commenting on Marisol's statement.

"Magic is originally based on our emotions. Our emotions controlled our magic and our abilities until we can learn to control it by will and separate our emotions from it. What makes fire so dangerous is that it is so deeply intertwined with each other that there is no separation and those who do try to separate die and those who do not are killed by their own fire.

"Fire is volatile and difficult to control. One must find a balance between the two and very few have been able to do so. Fire is a rarity, because everyone wants a psychic and that makes you a bigger target. Everyone wants a pet psychic, even if they are highly volatile and dangerous." Marisol finished.

"I'm a ticking time bomb?" Chris asked calmly.

"I'm saying what I know about fire-benders and you don't fall into the norm of what I know, but then again, you never did."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning you should've been dead the day you first came to my home. All that pain and sadness should have consumed you, but you're still alive. I don't know how, but you're still alive." Marisol said a tone of subtle wonder.

Chris said nothing, just thinking and planning. It's always thinking and planning for her, even when she's relaxed, she can't turn her mind off and enjoy the moment.

"What's your reaction to meeting a dragon?" Chris continued. Marisol paused. She looked at Chris trying to find out if she was bluffing.

"You summoned one?" Marisol asked fear tinting her voice.

"I did."

"I and others would react with fear and if you can summon one in the Sanctuary you may have a chance to getting out alive. Are you sure you still want to go."

Chris smiled.

"I've already made the preparations and we leave tonight. We'll be back in four days, six tops."

Chris looked at Aaron in question and Aaron confirmed that he was still going. Sean can only hope for the best.

* * *

It's hot and moist and Aaron wants to leave immediately. The jungle is practically buzzing with magic and it's setting him on edge. The closer they get to the sanctuary the more alive the jungle feels.

"How are you feeling?" Aaron hears Sean speak through the comm.

"Nervous," Aaron answered.

Chris is a sneaky bitch. The fight against the guys was for revenge, but she never intended to leave them in the dark or rather she had no intention of leaving Sean, Marisol, Richie and the hobbits in the dark. She has a camera and a comm line set up on a secured satellite feed. No one will be able to hack it, since LOKI is monitoring it.

When Marisol found out about it she suggested casting a spell to protect the feed from magical interference. Chris didn't know if it can happen, but knows the value of preparation against anything and everything. They can't see the others, but they can hear them and that is a great comfort.

Beside him Chris is glancing at him. It's making Aaron slightly nervous.

"What?"

"You can sense magic, right?" Aaron just nods his head from keeping himself from saying something condescending. He can't but feel a little glee from being better than her at practicing magic.

"Can you teach me?" Chris asks hesitantly unsure if that is the right thing to do.

"Yeah, it's not that hard you just need to practice. There are many tricks that one can use with their abilities." Aaron started to explain how he started tracking others using earth. He would flow some of his magic to the ground and he used it to locate foreign objects on the ground like trees, plants and then people. He had to have direct contact with the earth, meaning he was barefooted when he did this. Then he was able to do it with shoes on then he could close his eyes and picture where everyone is and then he was able to do it subconsciously. After that he was able to hone in on certain people, specifically caster. It became a honed technique that he learned so well that he doesn't have to think about doing anymore. It became automatic.

"How long did it take you to learn?" Chris asked in wonder.

"It took me three weeks to do it successfully with my feet on the ground and all and it took me six years of practice for it to evolve and it became second nature."

"Guess I have a lot of practice to-" Chris stopped suddenly staring ahead then turning around staring at something that Aaron couldn't see.

"Did you see that?" Chris asked him, but she was startled by his confused expression.

"What did you see?" Aaron asked worried. It could be an illusion, but there are no other people here and if it was a magical defense then it would affect him too.

"What did she see?" He hears Frodo speak through the comm.

"Nothing," Chris says immediately, "I'm probably just seeing things." Chris resumes walking letting the compass guide her. Five minutes later, Aaron sees it as well.

A little boy running past them, he was small maybe five years old. He looked familiar and Aaron is sure he's seen him somewhere.

He shouts behind him where he and Chris are standing, something that he doesn't understand, but it sets Chris off running and chasing after him, before Aaron can tell her to stop.

* * *

"_Apurate (_hurry up)_, Chris!" _She hears him say. What got her to run wasn't when he said her name. What made her chase after him was when he turned and got a good look at his face. He looked like Danny when they were children. Actually she was pretty sure she was staring at Danny or at least an illusion of him.

If she survives this, she would berate herself for letting herself be so emotionally compromised. It made her weak. If this is a trap, then it was a damn good one, because whoever did this knew exactly how to strike her and where her weaknesses were.

But right now all she can focus on is the boy, who is her twin brother. He runs off the small dirt road that they were traveling on and into a smaller, narrower path. He goes towards the left and into the dense wilderness and Chris doesn't hesitate. She runs right after him.

"What's going on? What are you seeing?" She hears someone say over the comm, but ignores them completely. She has a single minded focus on the boy, on _Danny._

"You don't see it?" Aaron says behind her not far away trying to catch up to her.

"See what?" A different voice answers. Chris ignores it and looks at where the boy ran off to. There are plants blocking the path, but Chris makes out a small hole for on the left, too small for her, but not a child. Chris makes a motion to clear the blockage with her mind, but Aaron stops her when she is immediate thrown back by an invisible force.

"We can't go in there?" Aaron said holding Chris up in the air with his mind.

"Why not?" Chris huffed arms crossed telling him to put her down. Aaron gestured to the surrounding. There were hedge stones and wooden crosses with carvings surrounding the area. Chris looked closer to one of the stones and saw the carvings were a language, but one she has never seen before.

"These are protection barriers. There's something in there that they've contained and whatever it is they were scared of it to even put up the barriers centuries ago and continue to renew the barriers." Aaron explained.

"He's right. That place has been there after the fall of the Mayan empire. No one knows what's there, but it's forbidden to enter those lands. Growing up, children would dare each other to get as close to the 'Tierra Muerta.'" Marisol added.

"Alright, I'll bite. What the hell is Tierra Muerta, beside the dead land?" Chris was getting impatient.

"Depends on who you ask. Some say that an evil spirit resides there others say it's a benign one. One thing both sides agree on is that it's guarding something. What it is no one know, but those who try to find out are not seen alive again." Chris is nodding and half listening to the explanation, but she's more focused on the little girl that runs past her and into the hole the little boy (_Danny!_) went through.

"Uh huh I hear you but I think I've already been in there before?"

"**What!?**" Marisol and Aaron yell and Chris winces. "When? How?" Aaron asks the same time Marisol asks, "Are you sure?"

"I was probably four or five and through that hole, which is no longer there but was there when I went through. And I just saw myself crawl through there." Chris answers while looking to the trail leading away and sees kids running towards her or probably mini-her.

Aaron sees the kids, three boys and two girls ranging from nine to thirteen. The kids notice where they are and run off in the other direction, but not before yelling profanities in Spanish and saying that they're already dead and good riddance. Fuckers.

"I'm going in," Chris says decisively. Aaron looks at her as if she lost her mind.

"I'm not," Aaron shoots back.

"Okay."

"This could be a trap."

"Crossed my mind and still taking the chance."

"You could die."

"Probably."

"Or not."

"I'm hoping for that last one."

"But you're doing this alone."

"I'm not asking for more than you're willing to give."

"Fine because I'm not going!"

"Okay." Chris says already finished making a big enough hole for her to crawl through. Once satisfied she crawls through. She expected to go through this alone, but she doesn't know how Aaron in this element.

"Seriously I really don't want to be here when the trees start to bleed." She hears Aaron and senses him moving to follow her.

When she was finally on her feet, she took a look at her surroundings and realized she's seen this place before.

"Uhhh…" Chris began.

"What? What's wrong?" Aaron asked voice tight.

"I've seen this place before." Before Chris can explain further a voice called out to them. A small child-like voice.

"_Usted vino_ (you came)." The little girl Chris envisioned said.


	15. There Are No Coincidences

**I am so sorry for the delay. I promise to try not go MIA for a few months again.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: There are no Coincidences **

That scene that Chris and Aaron saw wasn't a tale of the first time Chris and Danny went to that forbidden part of the jungle. Being there near that tree was bringing up memories that Chris had long forgotten, locked away, or _locked away by someone else_. Even years ago she still would have considered that possibility. She has read about government research on hypnosis, theories and actual experiments on memory alterations. It's not so farfetched.

"_Me recuerdas? _(Remember me?)" The little girl asked. She is just as Chris saw her when she was young. She was slightly taller than her or Danny when they were small. She was wearing a dirty brown sleeveless dress or it could be an overgrown shirt. Chris is still unsure. The collar is decorated with blue square patterns. The squares had different marking on them. She was wearing a bracelet that was a dull brown color and a necklace that had a spherical totem and what appeared to be a snake wrapped around it. Even hearing her speak Chris notes that her accent is wrong.

"Who is she?" Aaron asked beside her. He's tense and unsure; Chris feels that she should be as well, but she's not. She can't remember much, but knows that she can trust her.

"Esmy?" Chris asks the words coming out in instinct and hesitance, but feels right to say to her. The little gi-Esmy smiles.

"Hi Christian! I was wondering when you would come back." Esmy giggles. Chris blinks, so she can speak English.

"You know English." Aaron asks and th- fuck!- Esmy giggles more.

"I know many things Aaron Byrne." The little girl said and suddenly she didn't sound like a little girl. She sounded older, hell she probably was older and just looked like a little girl or…

"Why do you look like that?" Chris asked unsure of how to phrase it without sounding like a dumbass. It might be too late for that; thinking about it now.

"Because, no one is afraid of a little girl." Esmy said matter-of-factly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. It wasn't. Not for Chris anyways. For Aaron the light bulb just light up.

"You're a guardian, not a ghost." Esmy was now beaming.

"Very good, young one." The girl asks looking at Chris now, with a smile on her face. Chris can do nothing back, but stare dumbly, because really there's only so much of this shit she can take before she'll eventually have a nervous breakdown. She's good at compartmentalizing, but fuck this is too much.

Once upon a time there was a life where the weirdest thing was that the bomb went off at the wrong time or there wasn't enough ammo or her favorite, she couldn't reach for the gun so instead killed two guys with her six inch heels. Good times. Great times. Why can't she go back to those times? At least those times make sense and are easily explained through science.

"I was not born or created, more like blinked onto existence. Or maybe I was human at one point, but I have forgotten those memories. I have been here for centuries. I have no recollection of my time before this place. All I know is that I am looking for someone. Someone that can I can trust.

"I have waited centuries, for you little Christian. In the end, I believe it will always be you that I can trust with this burden." Esmy said sadly like she wanted to cry, but had no more tears to shed.

Chris didn't know what to think. She could be lying and there is something bigger happening, but if it's not.

"What was my promise?" Chris asked quietly. Esmy looked at her through defeated eyes. Whatever promise Chris made as a child, Esmy believed she could deliver. The feeling was not mutual.

"You do not think you'll be able to complete it?"

"I promised to set you free, didn't I?" Chris said, because that is exactly what a younger her would say, when she still believed in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny and magic was very real (the magic that Walt Disney tries to sell, not the type that she wields now).

"At the time that is how you interpreted my inability to leave my post, little one. You felt the need to set me free. In the end we share the same goals. If you are the one I believe who can do this then you will set me free."

"The others that came here; what happened to them?" Aaron asked and Chris remembered what Marisol said. They died when they came here, or more specifically they were never seen again, but since Aaron and Chris are very much alive it still begs the question.

"They were punished. They were not killed, but they were not allowed to return home."

"They were sent to another universe, you're saying." Esmy nodded.

"You're saying they were punished, was it by you?" Chris asked and Esmy shook her head.

"Yes, that is my purpose. I am to deter trespassers and thieves alike; those who were unworthy to wield the staff." Okay sounds simple enough.

"What staff?" Chris continued, because nothing is ever simple.

"It was here long before me. I was sealed to it. The only way I can be freed is if the staff finds its owner." Chris thinks about her answers before going continuing, "Those that were _punished_ as you put it, was only because they were trying to forcibly acquire the staff." A nod.

"So if I try to grab it, you'll do the same thing and send me off into another place."

"No little one. It is my belief that you are the owner. The staff is alive and reacts to its owner. When you were here as a child the staff still saw you as its owner and the others were happy by you and your brother's presence. "

"Others?"

"There are two other presences with the staff. They don't talk much. The only time I felt any emotion from them is when you were here and that was decades ago. They seem to be currently conveying a sense of hope now that you are returned."

Chris stands still absorbing the information. It really is too much, but she's yet to faint or start running away screaming so she's counting this as a win.

"Why me?"

"I do not know, little one. I only know what I was told and all I was told was that you were chosen for this long before your birth. I have watched you since you first stepped into these sacred grounds. I have seen your pain and suffering. I have seen you constantly fall only to rise again stronger than before.

"The powers beyond you or me have already been working. Have you ever wondered why your closest friends are all magi? Fate has woven her threads and decided to intertwine and connect your lives to each other. The most powerful magi of the Lions, Ravens, Wolves, Foxes and Dragons living and fighting together are no mere coincidence.

"The path you walk is your own choice. The company you keep was preordained even before young Aaron was born. All your trials and suffering has led you to this. You may not accept this today, and try to renounce your charge, but in the end, fate will always lead you back until you are ready to accept your destiny."

"You don't know if she's telling the truth, you know. She could be a malevolent spirit that's just leading you to a trap." Chris considered that possibility. Really she has considered every possibility, the girl is a liar, the memories are a fake, she was lead here by her, or it's all true and she made a promise that she has to keep.

She's even considered the risk assessment. Right now with all the information she has received from Marisol and her own memories (including the possibility they were falsified), there is a 43% chance of death, a 52% probability of getting her ass sent to another universe (she knows how to come back… sort of), and 5% chance of being the new owner of the Magical Stick of Magic (never let it be said that she cannot find proper names of non-sentient objects (or sentient if it speaks to ghosts)). So after asking and confirming that yes the staff was literally in the tree, Chris went off and sees if she could grab it.

"You sure?" Aaron asks. Chris stares at him and Aaron finally sighs in defeat. He can't talk her out of anything once her mind's made up.

* * *

Aaron was not expecting that. Not. At. All. He was expecting exile, not for her to actually succeed. So, yeah, Aaron is shocked, but has resigned to the Christian Phenomena (even thinking it requires the use of capitalization). Which basically means that all improbable eventualities and outcomes are probably (not probably; will!) going to occur and any attempts to ward off the improbable is an exercise in futility.

Danny and Sean would totally get the funding to prove such a theory if the subject in question wasn't technically dead and so were the researchers. So while Aaron can and will stand there in shock, but unlike his undead friend? Acquaintance? Random stranger? He'll get over it quickly.

As a matter of fact, he's already over it. Now what he's focusing on now is that when the gust of wind and light that flashed when the mini trunks that made the tree suddenly parted and an object was coming out, it wasn't the only thing that was there.

Which brings him to his next discovery in the improbable. It's not a staff or wand, it's a necklace. He can't see what the totem that's dangling on the chain is; just that it's huge and shiny.

Then there's the two football shaped objects hovering after the chain. Chris doesn't grab it, doesn't even grab the necklace either. She's just staring at them like it's a trap, like if she touches then it's all over. And maybe it is, maybe this is the final straw that will make her accept that she is different, always has been, but always in denial about it.

"Well are you gonna get it or what?" Aaron asked growing impatient. That and the floating items were creeping him the hell out.

"Not sure." Chris eyed the floaters warily. She didn't expect the reaction and doesn't know what to do now. "What are those?" Chris said pointing.

"I'm not sure." Aaron answered and he's being honest. He doesn't know the secrets the Cortez are hiding and he'd ask Marisol, but he's pretty sure communications are down since they entered this place if the lack of commentary is clue enough.

"Dragon eggs," Esmy answered promptly. Aaron gives the items a closer scrutiny. There's no way, dragons can't procreate, not these kind at least.

"I thought dragons weren't allowed in this world?" Chris asked and Aaron only nods. "Yes, but those were legends tales spoken from one generation to the next over thousands of years in various languages. Who knows what was added or lost in translation," Aaron speaks.

"What about the necklace what is that?" Chris continues, and Aaron still finds it amazing how quickly she can compartmentalize.

"It's probably the staff," Aaron says. "Doesn't look like a staff," Chris snorts. Aaron raises an eyebrow and sighs loudly getting her attention. When she's looking at him, he moves his left hand and slides it down his right forearm revealing a tattoo of his wand. Chris is focusing intensely at him, but Aaron ignores it. The wand travels down his arm towards the palm of his hand and starts to physically manifest.

It's long a little over a foot long about 15 ½ inches. It is made of thin twigs twirled together, it seems weak and breakable, but it is ancient and powerful. He nearly died in the Black Forest where he found the tree all those decades ago, but the reward was great. A wand that very few would dare to retrieve.

"A caster chooses where they get their wand; Ollivander had it right, but not quite. Not all casters can wield wands or staffs and those who can go to the safer enchanted lands and there is always a test one must take to prove themselves worthy of wielding a wand, but most people these days take the simpler approach and just make a wand and fuse their magic into it, it's cheap and inelegant but it makes them feel better.

"I proved myself when I went to the heart of the Black Forest for two weeks without the use of magic and only a knife and some food to keep myself safe and alive. Anyways, once a wizard has a wand or staff they'll find ways to always keep it with them, but without being obvious about it. I magicked my wand in the form of a tattoo that I can easily conceal. Yours might already have it's own camouflaging."

"So no phoenix feather?" Chris asks and Aaron has a twitch in his left eyebrow signaling he's ready to choke her or die trying. "Seriously? That's all you got from that?"

"No I heard you, it's just… I don't know! My mind is racing to dragon eggs and then to what she said about the staff, wand, magical thingy, whatever. I don't know what to make of everything."

Aaron nodded and he could understand her dilemma. She grew up not knowing what she was nor trusting what she could do or others. Even in Middle Earth, she was looked at with suspicion and few allies, but so many enemies and that just added to her paranoia and self-doubt. Then there's her with Marisol and him where it's acceptable. She still can't trust herself, even when she's told she's not alone and can be trusted. A life time of being told and thinking you're a freak doesn't go away when a few say its okay for a few days. She can't dwell on it now. There is no time for it, so there's the next best think. The staff chose her long before she was even born; he knows this he just needs her to take it.

"Fine then don't think about it that way," Aaron starts Chris inclines her head towards him, "Think of it this way. It's another tool. You need it or you won't have the necessary equipment to save Eric or Hiro. You need it, so quit bitching and just take it already!" Chris says nothing and glares at the necklace with grim determination. Her arm suddenly shoots out and grabs the necklace.

He winces expecting something big and flashy to happen, but nothing does. He's kind of disappointed by the anti-climactic ending of it all, because the buildup was intense and then she just grabs it and… nothing. This is complete bullshit, not even a bright flash and maybe heaven becoming temporarily visible for Esmy to go through, just like in '_Ghost_.' Seriously, bullshit, he wants his money back.

Chris keeps the eggs from hitting the ground with her mind and grabbed them and tugged them on her left arm.

He turns to look at Esmy and panics when he doesn't see her. He thinks that she already left, but Chris moves towards the tree and Esmy on her knees and digging in the ground. Chris is wearing the necklace and looks at Esmy.

"I don't have much time and there's something that you and Danny kept here that I want to give you back." Esmy continues digging in a rapid pace. Chris stops her and puts her hand on the ground. An Iron Man lunchbox emerges from the ground and Esmy quickly brushes off as much dirt as possible before wiping it with her dress.

When she gets up and turns to Chris there's tears running down her cheeks. A huge smile on her face, but her eyes are sad. She no longer looks like a little girl, but a teenager. She wipes away her tears and looks to Chris, trying to hold back her tears and barely succeeding.

"When you made your promise, you gave me something to hold on to so that you wouldn't forget and would come back to keep your promise and get your things back.

"When you've been here for as long as I have, this place becomes all you know. I have often dreamed of being released from here and feeling happiness, but now that it's happened I'm-"

"Afraid." Chris finished for her. Esmy nodded.

"Before you go, what can you tell me about the Cortez?" Chris asked.

"It was your ancestors that placed me here. They wished for me to deter intruders, from stealing the staff."

"What's so special about the staff?"

"The staff is the first and only of its kind. Its power is untold and it chose you. Legend says that the original owner was the one who started the war against the dragons, but it was so long ago what's left of the story is now nothing but myths and legends."

"And the Cortez hired you to keep it safe?"

"Yes, but not all were supportive of the idea."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, the family is divided. One side supports the idea of enslaving all of mankind and the other side wants peace. They are at war with themselves."

"Who's winning?" Aaron asked.

"The peaceful side has a tenuous upper hand, but since you are already heading there I will caution you to be careful. Even if your intentions were noble, you can still be seen as a threat by both sides. After all, you have all that power and no one to control you. It can make any one fearful of you." Chris was silent of the implication and so was Aaron. He has faith in Chris to not let the power go to her head, but it still makes him nervous about the people they will face.

"It's time for me to go now. I don't want to say good bye, so I'll leave with; I hope fate will be kinder and we'll see each other again soon." By the time Esmy said her last words she was already gone, her voice the only evidence that she was there.

Chris stood there for a few minutes looking ahead of her, but no words, no sounds really, coming from her. When she turned, there were no tears, her eyes weren't even glassy. Aaron didn't comment on it and neither did she.

"We should put these in the pack." Chris said gesturing to the eggs and the lunchbox.

"You don't want to look inside?" Aaron questions.

"No, Danny should be there." Chris says, grabbing her pack and placing the items in.

"He's…"

"I don't think he is." Chris interrupted. "Before he,- before it happened Danny said that Gandalf the Grey must die so that Gandalf the White can live. The first thing I did when I got back here was read on the stories.

"Gandalf dies, but he is still reborn all the same. You yourself said that in order for a caster to awaken their magic is to die. The dragon I summoned months ago said it's called Rebirth." Chris said quietly, but with conviction. Not in the desperate tone he's heard in others looking for any little thing to encourage their false hope.

"You believe he's alive?" Aaron questioned carefully like he's talking to an animal that is easily set off and right now Chris fits the description.

"I want to believe he is. I'm holding out until we meet up with Gandalf again, but if he's not with him, then I'll know. Until then, I'm just holding on to the lunchbox for a little while longer."

There really is nothing for him to say to that. He can't say anything really. He's envied that about Chris, her ability to keep a level head through everything or appearing that she's the very picture of calm when she's really freaking out like when she saw the staff. Right now this was probably the only thing that she's using to keep her together. The idea that he might still be alive.

It's convincing evidence, but in the end it's just a theory and if it's false, he doesn't know if she'll be able to handle it. The reality that Danny really is dead. Aaron knows this and if he knows this then Chris is certainly aware of it.

They both move towards the exit, and as they come closer they hear voices on their comms, voices that Aaron completely forgot about.

"Sean?"

"_Aaron! Thank God!"_

"Uh, how are you guys doing?" Chris asked hesitantly.

"_Sean summoned a wolf."_ Marisol deadpanned. A pregnant pause followed Aaron and Chris as they left the clearing.

"I can't take any more of this shit." Chris finally sighed, rubbing her eyes and forehead. Aaron was on high alert.

"Well, too fucking bad, 'cuz we got company." Aaron gestured around him.

The Cortez found them.

* * *

***Runs away the moment everyone's back is turned to read.***


End file.
